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Select Committee · Petitions Committee

Tackling Online Abuse

Status: Closed Opened: 14 May 2020 Closed: 28 Mar 2022 22 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

The Petitions Committee has launched an inquiry into tackling online abuse, to consider issues raised in a number of petitions from the last Parliament and to follow up on the Committee’s previous inquiry into online abuse and the experiences of disabled people. The inquiry will resume in the wake of the Government's publication of its … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Tackling online abuse HC 766 1 Feb 2022 29 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
13 Recommendation Second Report - Tackling online abuse Deferred

The Online Safety Bill should retain the provision in the draft Bill to hold platforms...

The Online Safety Bill should retain the provision in the draft Bill to hold platforms liable for failing to consistently enforce their terms of service. We heard that this step would significantly improve users’ online experiences—especially those users most likely to face abuse. However, compliance with rules that platforms themselves … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it will continue to keep the recommendation for a stronger legislative framework for legal but harmful content under consideration, while outlining existing Online Safety Bill provisions for child safety, Category 1 services, and Ofcom's enforcement role.
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18 Recommendation Second Report - Tackling online abuse Deferred

We support the proposals in the Law Commission’s hate crime review to extend aggravated hate...

We support the proposals in the Law Commission’s hate crime review to extend aggravated hate crime offences across all characteristics protected under existing hate crime legislation, and to reform the ‘hostility’ motivation test to better reflect the nature of some hate crimes affecting disabled people—both of which were called for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it is carefully considering the recommendations set out in the Law Commission’s final report on Hate Crime Laws, including those to extend aggravated offences and reform the hostility motivation test, and will shortly publish a new strategy.
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19 Recommendation Second Report - Tackling online abuse Deferred

We recommend that the Government accepts the Law Commission’s proposals to extend the characteristics to...

We recommend that the Government accepts the Law Commission’s proposals to extend the characteristics to which aggravated hate crime offences can apply, and to reform the motivation test for hate crimes to include prejudice as well as hostility; and that it sets a timeline for bringing these changes forward. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it is carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations on hate crime laws and will shortly publish a new strategy for tackling hate crime. They did not respond to the specific ask of extending characteristics and reforming the motivation test.
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20 Conclusion Second Report - Tackling online abuse Deferred

Improvements in the drafting of the criminal law are irrelevant if these offences are not...

Improvements in the drafting of the criminal law are irrelevant if these offences are not enforced. Many witnesses suggested the police did not have the resources they needed to be able to effectively investigate online abuse and hate crime. This undermines the important role played by the criminal law as … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concern about enforcement and police resources, stating it is carefully considering relevant recommendations from the Law Commission and will shortly publish a new strategy for tackling hate crime.
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21 Recommendation Second Report - Tackling online abuse Deferred

Alongside the introduction of the new communications offences, we recommend that the Government ensures the...

Alongside the introduction of the new communications offences, we recommend that the Government ensures the police and other law enforcement bodies have adequate resources to effectively investigate and prosecute communications, hate crime, and Violence Against Women and Girls offences committed online. This should include scaling up the work of existing … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government thanked the Committee and stated it is carefully considering the recommendations from the Law Commission’s report on 'Hate Crime Laws' and will shortly publish a new strategy to tackle hate crime, including online elements.
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Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
1 Dec 2021 Chris Philp MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Orla MacRae · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport View ↗
23 Nov 2021 Dr Nicholas Hoggard · Law Commission, Katy Minshall · Twitter, Professor Penney Lewis · The Law Commission, Rebecca Stimson · Meta, Theo Bertram · TikTok View ↗
16 Nov 2021 Andy Burrows · NSPCC, Dr Bertie Vidgen · The Alan Turing Institute, Ellen Judson · Demos, Seyi Akiwowo · Glitch, Stephen Kinsella OBE · Clean up the Internet, William Perrin OBE · Carnegie Trust UK View ↗
2 Nov 2021 Chara Bakalis · Oxford Brookes University, Danny Stone MBE · Antisemitism Policy Trust, Dr Joe Mulhall · HOPE not hate, Matthew Harrison · The Royal Mencap Society, Nancy Kelley · Stonewall, Ruth Smeeth · Index on Censorship View ↗
2 Jul 2020 Amy Price, Katie Price View ↗

Who gave evidence

21 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Amy Price — 1
Andy Burrows · Head of Child Safety Online Policy NSPCC 1
Chara Bakalis · Principal Lecturer Oxford Brookes University 1
Chris Philp MP · Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Danny Stone MBE · Chief Executive Antisemitism Policy Trust 1
Dr Bertie Vidgen · Research Fellow The Alan Turing Institute 1
Dr Joe Mulhall · Head of Research HOPE not hate 1
Dr Nicholas Hoggard · Lawyer Law Commission 1
Ellen Judson · Senior Researcher Demos 1
Katie Price — 1
Katy Minshall · Head of UK Public Policy Twitter 1
Matthew Harrison · Public Affairs and Parliamentary Manager The Royal Mencap Society 1
Nancy Kelley · Chief Executive Stonewall 1
Orla MacRae · Deputy Director for Online Harms Regulation Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Professor Penney Lewis · Criminal Law Commissioner The Law Commission 1
Rebecca Stimson · UK Director of Public Policy Meta 1
Ruth Smeeth · Chief Executive Index on Censorship 1
Seyi Akiwowo · Founder and CEO Glitch 1
Stephen Kinsella OBE · Founder Clean up the Internet 1
Theo Bertram · Director of Government Relations and Public Polic… TikTok 1
William Perrin OBE · Trustee Carnegie Trust UK 1