The UK wants to become the safest place for children to grow up online. Many UK lawmakers have argued that the only way to ensure that future is to criminalize technology leaders whose platforms knowingly fail to protect children. Today, Britain’s House of Commons reached an agreement to appease those lawmakers, Reuters reports, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government agreeing to amend the online safety law to ensure it passes. It now appears that tech company executives who “intentionally” expose children to harmful content could soon face hefty fines and prison sentences of up to two years.
The agreement was reached during the remaining stages of the security bill before a vote in the House of Commons. It will then be judged by the House of Lords, where the BBC reports that it will “have a long journey”. Sunak says he will review the bill to include new terms before it reaches the House of Lords, where lawmakers will have additional options to review the wording.
Reports say tech executives responsible for platforms hosting user-generated content would only be liable if they fail to take “proportional measures” to prevent children from being exposed to harmful content, such as child sexual abuse material, child abuse , eating disorders and suicide. -sorrow. Some measures tech companies can take to avoid jail time and fines for up to 10 percent of a company’s global revenue include adding age verification, providing parental controls, and checking content.
If the online safety law is passed, managers would be held accountable for adhering to their own community guidelines, including content and age restrictions. If a breach of online security duties is discovered, UK media regulator Ofcom would be responsible for prosecuting tech leaders who fail to respond to enforcement messages. Anyone acting in good faith to police content and protect children will reportedly not be prosecuted.
Ars could not immediately reach a major tech company for comment on the deal with the House of Commons, but Reuters reported that US executives are closely monitoring updates to the online safety law.
UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said in a statement that this amendment would prevent senior managers at technology companies from ignoring otherwise enforceable requirements of the online safety law, giving Ofcom “extra teeth to drive change and ensure that people are held accountable if they fail to do so. protect children well.”
Last month, Donelan wrote a letter to parents explaining why she’s calling for criminal penalties for tech leaders who “consent or collude” to circumvent the requirements of the online safety law.
“The responsibility for keeping young people safe online will rest entirely on the shoulders of the tech companies,” Donelan wrote. “You or your child don’t need to change any settings or apply filters to protect them from harmful content. Social media companies and their Silicon Valley executives will have to build these protections into their platforms – and if they fail to meet their responsibilities, they will face serious legal consequences.”
