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Online safety and online harms

Inquiry

The Sub-Committee will investigate how focus has shifted since the introduction of the Online Safety Strategy Green Paper in 2017, including concerns that the definition of harm is now too narrow and may fail to address issues such as non-state intervention in elections, racist abuse and content that contributes to self-harm and negative body image. It will also explore key omissions of the draft Bill, such as a general duty for tech companies to deal with reasonably foreseeable harms, a focus on transparency and due process mechanisms or regulatory powers to deal with urgent security threats and how any gaps can be filled before the Bill is finalised. Another focus will be on where lessons can be learnt from international efforts to regulate big tech, such as in France, Germany and Australia.

This inquiry by the House of Commons DCMS Sub-Committee is distinct from any work by the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill, established by the House of Lords and the House of Commons on 23 July.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Friday 3 September 2021.

Work news

Committee calls for clarity on plans for new joint committee to scrutinise Online Safety Bill powers

Government responds to Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee report on The Draft Online Safety Bill and the legal but harmful debate

DCMS Committee Chair says Online Safety Bill is a good start but quality journalism needs more protection from algorithms

DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight has welcomed the presentation to Parliament of the Online Safety Bill

Illegal and harmful content could evade new online safety law, warn MPs

DCMS Sub-committee on Online Harms and Disinformation publishes report on the Draft Online Safety Bill and the legal but harmful debate

24 January 2022

Social media giants questioned on online safety and influencer culture

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee holds two separate evidence sessions

17 January 2022

No longer the land of the lawless: Joint Committee reports

MPs and Peers publish landmark report on new laws for Online Safety

14 December 2021

MPs to compare UK and Australia online safety legislation

The Sub-Committee compares UK and Australia online safety legislation.

10 December 2021

Nadine Dorries faces DCMS Committee for first time as Culture Secretary

DCMS Committee examines the Secretary of State, Nadine Dorries

19 November 2021

Draft Online Safety Bill: MPs to examine protections for online journalism

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee considers how the content of online journalism will be protected from requirements in the draft Bill

5 November 2021

MPs examine calls for draft legislation to make online abuse of women and girls a legal offence

In its current form, the Bill does not explicitly name violence against women and girls.

22 October 2021

Joint Committee looks into freedom of speech, journalism and children’s rights in the Online Safety Bill

Draft Online Safety Bill Committee take evidence at 9.45am on Thursday 21 October 2021

21 October 2021

MPs hold first session to scrutinise draft Online Safety Bill

Chair of the Lords’ Democracy and Digital Technologies Committee, will be questioned about the draft Online Safety Bill

22 September 2021

MPs probe the Government’s approach to tackling harmful online content

The DCMS Sub-Committee on Online Harms and Disinformation launches a new inquiry

Contact us

We can't usually help you with an individual problem or a specific complaint.

Email: cmscom@parliament.uk
Phone: 020 7219 6188 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 1679 (media enquiries)
Address: CMS Committee (Online Harms and Disinformation), House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA