Thread by @OnlineSafetyCom

THREAD 🧵 Our *final* #OnlineSafetyBill public evidence session has started ⬇️

🗣️ Secretary of State @NadineDorries
🗣️ Ministers @DamianHinds and @CPhilpOfficial
🗣️ Online Harms Director Sarah Connolly

📺 Watch live now parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/6c…

@DCMS @UKHomeOffice

Chair @DamianCollins: How important is this legislation?

Secretary of State for @DCMS @NadineDorries: I think this is possibly the most important piece of legislation to pass Parliament, certainly in my 17 years here

Chair @DamianCollins: So as far as the Government is concerned, the draft #OnlineSafetyBill Bill is not your final word?

Secretary of State @NadineDorries: This is certainly not our final word, especially with the work your Committee has been doing.gov.uk/government/pub…

Chair @DamianCollins: What do you say to concerns about the powers the Bill gives the Secretary of State?

@NadineDorries: Parliamentary scrutiny is crucial. I think there is a role for a body, like the @HumanRightsCtte, to continue working after the #OnlineSafetyBill passes

@NadineDorries tells @DamianCollins: 'A Joint Committee, I believe, is the best Committee, because it brings expertise from both Houses. People in this Committee probably understand the #OnlineSafetyBill better than anyone else, why would we dispose of that?'

Lord Clement-Jones @whiterhino1949 asks why the #OnlineSafetyBill doesn't set binding minimum standards in @Ofcom's Codes of Practice for platforms?

@NadineDorries: The duties are binding, and bind platforms to their T&Cs. @CPhilpOfficial: There is a burden on proof on operators

@NadineDorries: 'We've given @Ofcom teeth - fangs, even. They can fine companies, can request a huge amount of information, to hold platforms to the Codes of Practice. This is why we require ongoing parliamentary scrutiny to keep children and individuals safe.'

Lord Clement-Jones: @Dawes_Melanie @Ofcom has warned us the platforms will push back.

@NadineDorries: Of course there will be kick-back, follow the money. But the world is watching, that is why the #OnlineSafetyBill has to be water-tight.

Lord Clement-Jones @whiterhino1949: The question of algorithmic inspection is crucial, are you confident that @Ofcom has enough powers to look under the bonnet?

@NadineDorries @DCMS: I think so. Fines and criminal liability will also hold people like Mark Zuckerberg to account

Lord Clement-Jones: Do you agree that criminal sanctions should come in with the rest of the #OnlineSafetyBill?

@NadineDorries: Yes I do. Platforms, take note. On the #Metaverse, a rebrand isn't going to work. I'm looking at 3 to 6 months on criminal liability.

Suzanne Webb @Q66Suzi: @Ofcom will only be good as the info they're given. What about platform governance structures?

Sarah Connolly @DCMS: It's an interesting idea, we'd be interested in how you think it could work?

@NadineDorries: We'll look at it now.

Chair @DamianCollins: What impact do the @Law_Commission recommendations on communication offences have on the #OnlineSafetyBill?

@NadineDorries: We're minded to accept their recommendations, they will make the bill water-tight
lawcom.gov.uk/project/reform…

Chair @DamianCollins: So this means the @Law_Commission would make those communication offences illegal instead of legal but harmful in the #OnlineSafetyBill?

Sarah Connolly @DCMS: Yes.

@MrJohnNicolson: Does the Secretary of State have too much powers in the #OnlineSafetyBill, with regards to @Ofcom's priorities?

@NadineDorries: It is the role of @UKParliament to state those powers, that's why I think a Committee such as yours should scrutinise me and Ofcom

@CPhilpOfficial: The Code may be modified by the Secretary of State, but it is then subject to parliamentary scrutiny and voting, according to section 32 of the #OnlineSafetyBill

Lord Gilbert of Panteg @Stephen17262836: You have a real passion for getting the #OnlineSafetyBill right. Does anything in it strike you as not right?

@NadineDorries: It finds the right balance with freedom of expression. Platforms won't be able to take down @DavidDavisMP

Minister @CPhilpOfficial: In relation to clause 12, there will be a code of practice set out relating to the platforms' duty to uphold freedom of expression. This Bill creates protections, it is a huge step forward

In relation to clause 14, the journalistic exemption applies to journalistic content, not the identity of the poster and whether they are a citizen-journalist or not, @CPhilpOfficial tells Lord Gilbert.

@NadineDorries: This is teamwork, we welcome any recommendations you have

Lord Gilbert @Stephen17262836: The #OnlineSafetyBill takes news publishers out of scope. Would it not be better to tell Silicon Valley that they just cannot take down news content?

@NadineDorries @DCMS: If you can make a recommendation in the report, we'll look at that now

We have taken advice and believe the #OnlineSafetyBill complies with Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights, Secretary of State @NadineDorries tells Chair @DamianCollins

Chair @DamianCollins asks if a deepfake of a politician, or disinformation about the date of an election, would be an offence or would be protected as content of democratic importance?

@CPhilpOfficial: It would need to meet a high threshold to become an offence.

Sarah Connolly @DCMS adds that the #OnlineSafetyBill is giving flexibility to @Ofcom to adapt risk assessments to such rising harms, and that there are ongoing discussions with the @CabinetOfficeUK on this very issue for the Elections Bill.

Anorexia is one of the most fatal diseases anyone can contract, 1 in 4 young girls who contract it die. There is a strong school of thought that social media algorithms have promoted that during lockdown, @NadineDorries tells Baroness Kidron.

Baroness Kidron: Should @Ofcom codes of conduct mandate platforms that parents should be able to get access to the accounts of children who have taken their lives?

@DamianHinds @UKHomeOffice: There's a lot we can do to remove barriers, enable data flows, to do more on this

@MrJohnNicolson: Will @UKParliament get a chance to debate the @Ofcom codes of practice if the @DCMS Secretary of State chooses to modify them?

Sarah Donnolly @DCMS confirms it would be via a negative statutory instrument.

@NadineDorries: Sometimes we need to act urgently

@LordJimKnight: One of the ways to simplify the #OnlineSafetyBill would be to go back to one duty of care.

@NadineDorries: We'd love that to work, but we've looked at it and it doesn't pass parliamentary counsel. The bill is technical and long, to be water-tight.

The legal definition for 'societal harm' is too difficult to work in the #OnlineSafetyBill, @DCMS Secretary of State @NadineDorries tells @LordJimKnight.

@CPhilpOfficial adds that if disinformation causes physical or psychological harm it still falls under legal but harmful

@LordJimKnight: Do you think that the #OnlineSafetyBill could give more powers for work between @Ofcom and other regulators, for example the security services?

@DamianHinds @UKHomeOffice: Yes

@LordJimKnight: If a platform is still not answering my complaint, can I go to @Ofcom?

@NadineDorries: Yes. You call also go to an organisation who could lead a super-complaint. And if platforms are not fast enough, @UKParliament can look at this again

@DamianHinds agrees with @Dean4Watford that the Government needs to address online scam ads, but is not sure if this should be in the #OnlineSafetyBill or in other plans.

This #OnlineSafetyBill will address user-generated advertising, @NadineDorries tells @Dean4Watford. It doesn't exclude advertising. Any recommendations you make would be used in the @DCMS Advertising Programme.

@CPhilpOfficial adds that online scam ads are illegal, and the #OnlineSafetyBill will place a responsibility on platforms to protect users against them.

@Dean4Watford asks @NadineDorries if traceability is better than anonymity?

@NadineDorries: 'This Bill will end anonymous abuse.' We're considering going further, on whether users should choose whether they see anonymous accounts. Traceability is key to that.

@DamianHinds @UKHomeOffice: 'People operating anonymously should not think they are untouchable.' There should not be impediments to finding people if necessary.

@Dean4Watford: When the #OnlineSafetyBill becomes law, how long will it take platforms to act?

@NadineDorries: The platforms already have tools in place. I don't agree with @Ofcom that it will take 3 years. If I were a platform, I'd be looking at my algos and T&Cs and acting now

Chair @DamianCollins: How comfortable would you be with an #OnlineSafetyBill that allows @Facebook to continue taking money from people traffickers?

@CPhilpOfficial: If there are specific areas in the online advertising area you think we could act, please recommend it.

Chair @DamianCollins asks if the UK Government considers the @Meta #Metaverse a user-to-user service in scope of the #OnlineSafetyBill.

@NadineDorries: Yes.

That concludes today's evidence session - our last!

Thank you for joining us.