UK Online Safety Bill Put on Hold

In a move that sparked relief among the tech industry, the United Kingdom’s online safety bill has been postponed for at least several weeks.

The legislation is designed to make Big Tech companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook stamp out harmful content, whether that means abusive comments, child pornography, terrorist materials or threats of violence, the Financial Times (FT) reported Thursday (July 14).

Companies that don’t comply with the new law could be fined up to 10% of their yearly worldwide turnover. The law — one of the first pieces of legislation to provide comprehensive internet content regulation — has been watched closely by regulators around the world.

The legislation was scheduled to be debated in Parliament this week, but that has been put on hold until at least early September, after the members of Parliament (MPs) get back from summer break, according to the report.

One government official said the delay did not mean the end of the legislation, and that parliamentary time had been cut because of an attempt by the opposition Labour party to force a motion of confidence in the government, the report stated.

Alex Davies-Jones, Labour’s culture spokesperson, called the delay an “absolutely devastating blow,” per the report. Tech companies will likely have a different reaction, after arguing that new amendments to the bill were being rushed.

Ben McOwen Wilson, the head of YouTube U.K., called on MPs to “pause and think carefully” before adding amendments earlier this week, the report stated.

Google, Meta and Twitter have all expressed dismay over several issues tied to the law, including concerns for freedom of expression, and safety loopholes, such as endangering encryption, according to the report.

Earlier this year, Gill Whitehead, who oversees the regulatory group the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF), warned that although the bill is aimed at Big Tech, it could end up raising costs for small businesses. Whitehead said startups could also struggle with complying with the law, hurting their ability to compete with incumbents.

Read more: UK Tech Regulator Warns of High Cost of Internet Bill Compliance for Small Business

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