BPS responds to the passing of the Online Safety Bill
We are pleased to see the Online Safety Bill finally come to fruition as it is passed by Peers.
19 September 2023
The BPS has campaigned throughout the process for the Online Safety Bill to protect vulnerable children and adults from harm online, and to effectively make the UK the 'safest place in the world to be online'.
Social media firms have a responsibility now to ensure they protect users from harmful content on their sites, and the Bill will force firms to remove illegal content and protect children from some legal but harmful material.
BPS Chief Executive Sarb Bajwa, said:
"We are very pleased to see the Online Safety Bill being passed through Parliament.
"There is clear psychological research showing the link between harmful content and real-life behaviours, and this Bill will is a very welcome step in making the online world a safer place for all.
"However, we are concerned that there are still areas of the Bill which could leave children and vulnerable adults exposed to harmful content online.
"Therefore it will be vital that the regulator acts swiftly when necessary to hold social media firms to account regarding the harmful content posted on their platforms."