UK in Hardcore Crackdown on Online Content

UK in Hardcore Crackdown on Online Content

Time Stamp: September 21, 2023 8:24 AM
Source Node: 2891944

Britain’s
new internet safety law takes aim at tech titans, but is it a savior or a
threat to online freedom?

Picture
this: British lawmakers, riding high with power and a desire to stir the pot,
have given the nod to a groundbreaking internet
safety law. With a mission to reign in
digital giants such as TikTok, Google, Facebook, and the behemoth Meta
(formerly the behemoth known as Facebook and owner of seemingly everything),
this law is set to shake up the digital realm. If it’s enforceable.

The
UK government swears by the online safety bill, claiming it will crown Britain
as a safe haven in cyberspace. However, critics argue it’s a wolf in sheep’s
clothing, threatening the sanctity of online privacy and the cherished freedom
of speech. A well-dressed wolf or a Trojan horse heralding further measures, we’re
not sure. But it’s certainly … interesting.

All
this, of course, is happening just as the European Union, with its Digital
Services Act, simultaneously tightens the noose on social media, sparking a
continent-wide digital duel.

OK.
So, what’s all the fuss about? In principal, it’s hard to argue against a safer
online environment for children and others at risk. The law tasks social media
platforms with eradicating illegal content, from child exploitation and hate
speech to terrorism, revenge porn and more. These platforms must also prevent
such content from ever surfacing, all while empowering users to slam the door
on anonymous trolls.

The
government is positioning itself as a zero tolerance protector of children and
it’s going to hold platforms legally accountable for what children can see
online. From preventing kids’ access to potentially harmful but not explicitly
illegal content to keeping explicit material away from underage users, the law
aims to make the web a safer place for the young and impressionable.

Any
internet company, regardless of where it is based, must comply if a UK user can
access its services. Non-compliance comes with a hefty price tag – fines
scaling up to £18 million or 10% of global annual sales, whichever stings more.

The
UK communications regulator, Ofcom, will oversee the law’s enforcement. It’ll
initially focus on weeding out illegal content as the government adopts a phased
approach to its implementation.

Questions, questions, questions

However,
how all this will be enforced remains uncertain. Critical details remain
elusive, leaving digital rights advocates worried about the implications. The
law may inadvertently infringe upon online freedoms. Privacy-invading age
verifications or content sanitization could be on the horizon if platforms have
to ensure child-friendly content, sanitation which is bound to affect us all.

The
Electronic Freedom Foundation, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to defending civil liberties in the digital
world, highlighted the incompatibility of the law with encryption, a vital layer of protection presented as fairly standard by
a large number of online companies, saying,
“Clause 110 of the bill requires websites and apps to proactively
prevent harmful content from appearing on messaging services. This will mandate
the screening of all user content, all the time. It’s not compatible with encryption, or our right
to privacy.”

It’s
not just NGOs that are highlighting issues, or facing problems, Meta said last
month that it plans
to start adding end-to-end encryption to all Messenger chats by default by
the end of year. But the U.K. government called on the company not to do so
without measures to protect children from sex abuse and exploitation. The lines
between protection, privacy and freedom are becoming increasingly blurred.

Will
Britain’s internet safety law safeguard the digital realm or shackle online
freedom? Only time will tell in this digital duel of wits. But it certainly is
confusing when you find Facebook standing up for privacy…

Censorship or not, we’re living in interesting times when it comes to online content, that’s for sure. At least here you know that your articles are written by a human being.

Britain’s
new internet safety law takes aim at tech titans, but is it a savior or a
threat to online freedom?

Picture
this: British lawmakers, riding high with power and a desire to stir the pot,
have given the nod to a groundbreaking internet
safety law. With a mission to reign in
digital giants such as TikTok, Google, Facebook, and the behemoth Meta
(formerly the behemoth known as Facebook and owner of seemingly everything),
this law is set to shake up the digital realm. If it’s enforceable.

The
UK government swears by the online safety bill, claiming it will crown Britain
as a safe haven in cyberspace. However, critics argue it’s a wolf in sheep’s
clothing, threatening the sanctity of online privacy and the cherished freedom
of speech. A well-dressed wolf or a Trojan horse heralding further measures, we’re
not sure. But it’s certainly … interesting.

All
this, of course, is happening just as the European Union, with its Digital
Services Act, simultaneously tightens the noose on social media, sparking a
continent-wide digital duel.

OK.
So, what’s all the fuss about? In principal, it’s hard to argue against a safer
online environment for children and others at risk. The law tasks social media
platforms with eradicating illegal content, from child exploitation and hate
speech to terrorism, revenge porn and more. These platforms must also prevent
such content from ever surfacing, all while empowering users to slam the door
on anonymous trolls.

The
government is positioning itself as a zero tolerance protector of children and
it’s going to hold platforms legally accountable for what children can see
online. From preventing kids’ access to potentially harmful but not explicitly
illegal content to keeping explicit material away from underage users, the law
aims to make the web a safer place for the young and impressionable.

Any
internet company, regardless of where it is based, must comply if a UK user can
access its services. Non-compliance comes with a hefty price tag – fines
scaling up to £18 million or 10% of global annual sales, whichever stings more.

The
UK communications regulator, Ofcom, will oversee the law’s enforcement. It’ll
initially focus on weeding out illegal content as the government adopts a phased
approach to its implementation.

Questions, questions, questions

However,
how all this will be enforced remains uncertain. Critical details remain
elusive, leaving digital rights advocates worried about the implications. The
law may inadvertently infringe upon online freedoms. Privacy-invading age
verifications or content sanitization could be on the horizon if platforms have
to ensure child-friendly content, sanitation which is bound to affect us all.

The
Electronic Freedom Foundation, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to defending civil liberties in the digital
world, highlighted the incompatibility of the law with encryption, a vital layer of protection presented as fairly standard by
a large number of online companies, saying,
“Clause 110 of the bill requires websites and apps to proactively
prevent harmful content from appearing on messaging services. This will mandate
the screening of all user content, all the time. It’s not compatible with encryption, or our right
to privacy.”

It’s
not just NGOs that are highlighting issues, or facing problems, Meta said last
month that it plans
to start adding end-to-end encryption to all Messenger chats by default by
the end of year. But the U.K. government called on the company not to do so
without measures to protect children from sex abuse and exploitation. The lines
between protection, privacy and freedom are becoming increasingly blurred.

Will
Britain’s internet safety law safeguard the digital realm or shackle online
freedom? Only time will tell in this digital duel of wits. But it certainly is
confusing when you find Facebook standing up for privacy…

Censorship or not, we’re living in interesting times when it comes to online content, that’s for sure. At least here you know that your articles are written by a human being.

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