Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
3
Conclusion
Second Report - Tackling online abuse
Acknowledged
Our predecessor Petitions Committee’s report concluded that self-regulation of social media had failed. Despite the user safety tools and innovations platforms have introduced since then, these companies have continued to place insufficient priority on user safety to protect users from abusive and hateful behaviour on their platforms, or ensure users …
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Our predecessor Petitions Committee’s report concluded that self-regulation of social media had failed. Despite the user safety tools and innovations platforms have introduced since then, these companies have continued to place insufficient priority on user safety to protect users from abusive and hateful behaviour on their platforms, or ensure users are able to effectively raise their concerns when subjected to this behaviour. We support the Government’s intention to end social media self- regulation and introduce a statutory regulatory framework. (Paragraph 32) The Online Safety Bill
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the Committee's work and agrees on the devastating impact of online abuse, reaffirming its intention for the Online Safety Bill to end social media self-regulation and introduce accountability for the tech sector.
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16
Conclusion
Second Report - Tackling online abuse
Acknowledged
The Law Commission is right to recommend refocusing online communications offences onto the harm abusive messages can cause to victims. We welcome the Government’s commitment to adopt the proposed threatening and ‘harm-based’ communications offences. However, we also acknowledge the uncertainty and hesitation of some witnesses about how the new harm-based …
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The Law Commission is right to recommend refocusing online communications offences onto the harm abusive messages can cause to victims. We welcome the Government’s commitment to adopt the proposed threatening and ‘harm-based’ communications offences. However, we also acknowledge the uncertainty and hesitation of some witnesses about how the new harm-based offence will be Tackling Online Abuse 49 interpreted in practice, including the role of social media companies and other online platforms in identifying this content—as well as other witnesses’ desire for the law to deal with more cases of online abuse more strongly.
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Government response AI summary
The government welcomes the committee's comments, confirms the Online Safety Bill will incorporate the Law Commission's recommended communications offences, and notes concerns about interpretation, stating the CPS is anticipated to update guidelines and implementation will be monitored.
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17
Recommendation
Second Report - Tackling online abuse
Acknowledged
The Government should monitor how effectively any new communications offences that are enacted—in particular, the Law Commission’s proposed harm-based offence—protect people from, and provide redress for victims of, online abuse, while also respecting freedom of expression online. We recommend that the Government publishes an initial review of the workings and …
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The Government should monitor how effectively any new communications offences that are enacted—in particular, the Law Commission’s proposed harm-based offence—protect people from, and provide redress for victims of, online abuse, while also respecting freedom of expression online. We recommend that the Government publishes an initial review of the workings and impact of any new communications offences within the first two years after they come into force.
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Government response AI summary
The government welcomes the recommendations, confirming the Bill will incorporate the Law Commission’s proposed communications offences and stating it will monitor their implementation and impact once in force. They do not explicitly commit to publishing an initial review within two years, but note that notifiable …
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24
Conclusion
Second Report - Tackling online abuse
Acknowledged
Social media platforms told us they already have rules against previously banned users returning, as well as the tools and data needed to identify users and prevent them starting new accounts. However, the evidence we heard suggests this is not a priority for them, and that some users are taking …
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Social media platforms told us they already have rules against previously banned users returning, as well as the tools and data needed to identify users and prevent them starting new accounts. However, the evidence we heard suggests this is not a priority for them, and that some users are taking advantage of poor enforcement of such bans to continue to behave abusively. This is a significant failing by these platforms.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's observation and will keep it under consideration, outlining how the Online Safety Bill will require services to assess and mitigate risks from anonymous abuse, with Ofcom setting steps for enforcement against repeat offenders.
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25
Recommendation
Second Report - Tackling online abuse
Acknowledged
Social media platforms must have robust methods in place to trace users posting content that violates the platform’s terms of service, and must effectively enforce their own sanctions against such users. We recommend that, as part of the new online safety regulatory framework, social media platforms should be required to …
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Social media platforms must have robust methods in place to trace users posting content that violates the platform’s terms of service, and must effectively enforce their own sanctions against such users. We recommend that, as part of the new online safety regulatory framework, social media platforms should be required to demonstrate to Ofcom that they can identify previously banned users seeking to create new accounts and, where a platform’s rules prohibit these users from returning to the platform, that the platform is adequately enforcing these rules. Ofcom should have the power to issue fines or take other enforcement action if a platform is unable to demonstrate this.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the recommendation and states it will continue to keep it under consideration. They note the Online Safety Bill requires companies to assess risks, including those from anonymity, and that Ofcom’s codes of practice could include steps for identity verification and addressing repeat …
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26
Recommendation
Second Report - Tackling online abuse
Acknowledged
Where there is a need to trace and investigate accounts posting potentially illegal content, this is usually technically possible even if the account is publicly anonymous. However, the police’s ability to trace accounts posting such content at scale is constrained by a lack of resources. This underlines the need for …
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Where there is a need to trace and investigate accounts posting potentially illegal content, this is usually technically possible even if the account is publicly anonymous. However, the police’s ability to trace accounts posting such content at scale is constrained by a lack of resources. This underlines the need for additional law enforcement resourcing as we call for in our recommendations on online abuse and the criminal law. The mixed evidence we heard about social media platforms’ cooperation with police requests for such information makes it welcome that the Government has previously indicated it is looking into the powers available to the police to identify users and tackle illegal anonymous abuse online. We recommend that the Government publishes the conclusions of its work to review whether current police powers are sufficient to tackle illegal anonymous abuse online, and that it sets out a timetable for any changes it believes are necessary as a result.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it has engaged with law enforcement to review police powers for tackling illegal anonymous abuse, and the outcome will inform its position, but does not commit to publishing the conclusions or a timetable for changes. They add that police resource allocation is …
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