More protection for children as Online Safety Act becomes law

The Online Safety Act has received Royal Assent, putting the rules it contains into law.

The Act places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and rapidly remove illegal content, including terrorism and pornography. Tech companies will also be responsible for ensuring that children cannot see material that is harmful to them such as bullying, content promoting self-harm and eating disorders, and pornography.

Those that fail to comply with the law will face fines and even prison for company bosses.

The law intends to ensure that tech companies remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place, including content promoting self-harm and prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content including pornographic content, content that promotes, encourages or provides instructions for suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, content depicting or encouraging serious violence or bullying content.

Tech companies will also have to enforce age limits and use age-checking measures on platforms where content harmful to children is published; ensure social media platforms are more transparent about the risks and dangers posed to children on their sites, including by publishing risk assessments; and provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: "At the heart of this Bill is the protection of children. I would like to thank the campaigners, parliamentarians, survivors of abuse and charities that have worked tirelessly, not only to get this Act over the finishing line, but to ensure that it will make the UK the safest place to be online in the world."