Online Safety Act needs strengthening to protect children, charity says

A charity has urged ministers to commit to a revised version of the Online Safety Bill, which would strengthen regulations and better safeguard children.

The Molly Rose Foundation has raised concerns that the current execution of the Bill by new online safety regulator Ofcom is overly cautious and lacks ambition, while also revealing structural flaws in the Act that need addressing. In a report released on the one-year anniversary of the Act's passing, the charity voiced its worries that Ofcom’s draft regulatory plans were insufficiently robust in holding tech companies accountable, and failed to fully comprehend the magnitude and scope of online threats, including content related to suicide and self-harm.

The charity also proposed imposing a new duty of candour on tech firms, obliging them to disclose information to the regulator and be forthcoming and proactive when new online harms surface. The Online Safety Act, set to start being enforced next year, imposes new responsibilities on social media platforms to shield users, especially children, from harmful content, with hefty fines for non-compliance.

Ofcom is currently formulating new codes of practice across various policy areas and content types, which platforms will have to adhere to. The Molly Rose Foundation was established by the family of , who tragically took her own life at the age of 14 in November 2017 after encountering harmful content on social media.

Ian, Molly's father and the chair of the charity, has called for urgent action: "Almost seven years after Molly’s death, we urgently need ministers to finish the job, with a strengthened Online Safety Act that makes clear measurable harm reduction is the North Star of this regime," he explained.

"While I firmly believe regulation is the best way to protect children from preventable harm, the reality is that timid regulation will cost lives. Ofcom has so far failed to grasp the nettle and respond decisively to preventable online harm."

Andy Burrows, the charity’s chief executive, said: "By committing to strengthen the Online Safety Act, ministers can give confidence to parents and the country at large that credible, effective and decisive change is on the way. The Government should commit to a set of clear, effective changes that can build on the landmark Act and deliver the strong regulatory regime that our young people need and deserve."

The Foundation has released new research backing the call for tougher regulations. It revealed a solid support among the community, with 84% of parents and 80% of adults advocating a revised version of the Act to enhance the safety framework, and 89% of adults expressing their wish to see it brought into action within the first two years of the current Parliament.

The Labour Government has bolstered the Act, with Secretary Peter Kyle announcing in September that sharing revenge porn was now a critical offence under the Act. Going further, platforms are required to actively seek out and remove such content.

At the time, Mr Kyle said: "I’m open-minded as to what powers need to evolve into the future and where liability rests,. But I want it to be proportionate and I want it to be effective – I’m not interested in finger-pointing at people unnecessarily.

"What I want to do is drive and incentivise behaviour change among any company that has access to British society, so that it benefits society and that any risks are mitigated as much as possible."

"Any company that puts these principles first and foremost in a tangible way will find us a Government that is totally on their side and will partner with them to make sure that every British citizen can benefit from their products, but also the jobs and wealth that is created from them. "

An Ofcom spokesperson voiced their agreement with the Molly Rose Foundation's report, saying: "We agree that it’s time for tech firms to take action to protect their users, especially children. The regulations we will finalise in the coming months, once we have finished seeking the views of children, parents and bereaved families, will be the most comprehensive put forward by any regulator in the .

"And we’re confident they’ll deliver a step change in children’s online safety. Children must be protected from seeing pornography, suicide and self-harm material including by using highly effective age checks. Algorithms must not promote harmful content to children. While we’ve already seen some tech firms taking steps in the right direction, once the new duties start to come into force from December, they’ll have to do far more. And we won’t hesitate to take enforcement action if they fall short."

Technology Secretary Mr Kyle added: "The Online Safety Act lays the foundations for a safer internet and in the coming months will protect against illegal content and harmful material for children. "This Government will be watching closely to ensure the protections make the difference they promised. For too long safety has been an afterthought as technology is unleashed on our society; my mission is to turn this tide so safety is baked in from the start."

"We are already building on the Act; earlier this week we introduced new data laws that will help researchers gather critical evidence about online harms. " "This will be essential to informing our future action in protecting everyone online."