Myleene Klass and Jo Frost among celebrities backing Online Safety Bill
8 December 2022, 07:24
The new internet safety laws, once in place, would require tech companies to remove illegal material from their platforms.
Myleene Klass, Jo Frost and Jermaine Jenas are among the famous faces who have come out in support of the Online Safety Bill as it returns to Parliament.
The new internet safety laws would require tech companies to remove illegal material from their platforms, with a particular emphasis on protecting children from seeing harmful content.
Social media platforms and other user-generated content-based sites that break these rules would face large fines from the sector’s new regulator, Ofcom.
The Bill has also been controversial as it is at the centre of a debate over free speech, censorship, and the necessity to police harmful content on the internet.
This has focused on the so-called “legal but harmful” duties that were in the Bill, which would have required the biggest platforms to ensure their users, and in particular children, are not exposed to harmful content, even if it was not illegal.
A number of celebrities have come out in support of the Bill including musician and mother-of-three Klass.
She said: “These new internet safety laws are incredibly important to protecting children and young people online.
“We are all aware of the harmful content that is available online and shared across social media platforms.
“These new safety laws put more responsibility on social media platforms to ensure the removal of this content and enforce them to actually stop underage children from accessing content they shouldn’t be.
“We need to ensure our children feel empowered, supportive and safe online.”
Frost, from the Supernanny reality show, added: “While we understand the importance of protecting our children in the physical world, we must also be sure to recognise the equal importance of keeping our children safe online in the virtual world too.
“This is the reason why with urgency we must all come together in strength to support these new internet safety laws to ensure that social media companies are held more accountable for the content children access on their platforms.”
Former professional footballer and presenter Jenas said that as a parent he is keen to ensure his kids’ safety online, and he feels the Bill is a “step in the right direction”.
The celebrity support comes as a survey by pollster Ipsos found that more than 70% of adults in the UK think social media platforms should be doing more to protect children online.
The poll of 1,032 British adults, carried out between November 4 and 8, also found 69% of people believe that children are not safe when using social media, with 77% of adults worried about children seeing content promoting self harm.
