Called Siobhan Baillie to speak for about 10 minutes and informed everyone of the three-minute limit for subsequent speeches.

Congratulated Siobhan Baillie on securing the debate and paid tribute to Katie Price, whose petition proposes ending online anonymity. He supported the proposal as sensible and deserving of House support.

Legislating on online harms provides an opportunity to address the extremism, misinformation and harmful abuse that has become prevalent on social media. The anonymity of social media platforms often encourages this harm, as seen in instances of antisemitic abuse directed at her. She argues for ending anonymous use by those who spread hate or harm while preserving privacy for whistleblowers and victims.

Acknowledges the power of anonymity to both empower the voiceless and facilitate abuse. He supports a balanced approach that allows for freedom of expression but also addresses harmful content, particularly criminal abuses where registration is needed for enforcement action. Concerned about the broader impact on public discourse and social cohesion.

Congratulates Margaret Hodge on her speech and supports the debate's focus on online anonymity. Proposes a mild measure that would allow users to opt to see content only from those using real identities, without banning anonymity outright.

Highlights the issue of impersonation online, which can have serious implications for public figures and their constituents seeking help. Also emphasises the role of anonymity in facilitating antisemitic abuse, noting that nearly 40% of reported antisemitic abuse in October 2020 came from fully or partially anonymous users. Urges sensible checks on anonymity to protect victims.

We should not tolerate online abuse, which is facilitated by anonymity on social media. There are two main parties at fault: the individuals who create hateful content and the platforms that allow it to remain visible. Social media companies often mistake harmful hate speech for legitimate freedom of expression. They need to co-operate more effectively with investigations into user behaviour and ensure that their recommendation tools do not amplify harmful content. The business model based on engagement can lead to an increase in abusive behaviour, as users see more of what the platform thinks they are interested in. There have been real-world consequences, such as the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol and increases in recorded hate crimes, suicides, and hospital admissions due to self-injury in pre-teens.

I congratulate Siobhan Baillie on securing this important debate. Women, especially women of colour and non-binary individuals, are disproportionately affected by online abuse. The situation has worsened since 2013 when it was more unusual to receive death threats or rape threats. Now, these experiences are common among politicians. In the 2017 election, MPs who were women of colour received significantly more abuse than their white colleagues. Women and people of colour across the country have faced a 50% increase in online abuse during the pandemic. This issue is not just about individuals in public life but also affects everyday people offline. The problem requires accountability from media companies similar to what we would demand from a pub landlord if someone were being abused there.

We must balance the right to anonymity with the need to protect individuals from abuse. Freedom of speech is not unrestricted in other arenas, including online, where we should not tolerate damaging behaviour that falls short of criminal activity. We should consider requiring verified identity for interactions online and disclosure of identity only with judicial sanction for anonymous content that damages society. The forthcoming online safety Bill presents an opportunity to address these issues and establish a duty of care for both those who need protection from anonymity and those who rely on it.

Expressed concern about online abuse targeting politicians, football players, and journalists in Northern Ireland. Highlighted the need for social media companies to take responsibility and work with police to tackle hate speech and intimidation campaigns.

Called attention to how anonymity facilitates online abuse and disinformation. Advocated for social media platforms to give users options to verify their identities, block unverified users, and clearly identify verified accounts.

Acknowledged the positive impact of digital platforms but also highlighted the extensive harm caused by anonymous social media accounts. Emphasised that anonymity emboldens bullies, pollutes public space, and undermines democracy.

Compared online anonymity to wearing a mask for bullying purposes in real life. Advocated for users to be identified when being nasty or abusive. Highlighted specific cases of abuse against female MPs, MPs of colour, and people campaigning on important issues.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Stroud on securing this debate and on all the work that she is doing to raise this issue. Yet again, it is a pleasure to take part in a debate where Members across the House are working together to find solutions... While I welcome the measures put in place by the leader of my party and the general secretary and his team, many of us have been reporting online abuse by members of our party for several years—personal abuse, sometimes by those with blue ticks themselves, and abuse by party members using anonymous, fake accounts.

I, too, congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud on securing this debate... We cannot just act unilaterally on this issue; we need to look at what we can do to work with our partners across the world, because more and more of these trolls may not be based in the UK.

Well done the hon. Member for Stroud for securing this debate... Lastly, we have the technical know-how to tackle this issue. It is out there and we can use it.

I, alongside everyone else, want to congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud on securing such an important debate... The Government are doing a lot in the online harms Bill, and this would be a worthy addition.

Welcomed the moves in the online harms Bill towards greater regulation against anonymity used for harmful purposes. Highlighted issues such as gendered, sectarian or racist abuse, misinformation, bullying of young people, and the need for Government intervention.

Commended the Government's proposals to regulate online communications with fines up to £18 million or 10% annual turnover. Raised concerns about cross-platform penetration with verified ID and called for a duty of care on big tech firms.

Discussed the case of Helen Mort, who was subjected to non-consensual distribution of intimate images leading to distress without any criminal charges. Called for outlawing the making, taking and sharing of intimate images without consent when the online harms Bill is introduced.

Highlighted petitions calling for accountability via IP addresses and verified identity requirements. Emphasised that anonymity facilitates and encourages abusive behaviour, impacting hate speech, especially antisemitic abuse online.

Congratulated Siobhan Baillie for securing the debate and shared her personal experience with online abuse since becoming a politician. She emphasised that online harms Bill would put safety standards, mandatory reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance, clarifying that abuse is not freedom of speech.

Congratulated Siobhan Baillie on securing the debate, highlighting how social media during the pandemic has been a force for good but also a platform for abuse. He emphasised that abusive behaviour damages political discourse and democracy, supporting the need to address online abuse now.

Addressed how social media has allowed some individuals to express hate anonymously, citing personal experiences of Islamophobic, racist, misogynistic threats. He criticised the Government for failing to deliver effective legislation and stressed that Parliament should protect all citizens from online harm.

Thanked Siobhan Baillie for securing the debate and shared her own experiences of receiving death threats and abuse, emphasising the need for internet companies to hold trolls accountable. She welcomed the Government's commitment to making the UK safe online and expressed hope for positive change through the online safety Bill.

Refers to the vulnerability of journalists due to online abuse, threats, and harassment. Provides examples of serious threats against journalists Patricia Devlin and Liam Thorp. Welcomes the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists but emphasises the need for legislative protections and stable funding sources for quality journalism.

Highlights how social media has made it easier to spread conspiracies, disinformation, hate speech, and extremism. Cites statistics from the Community Security Trust about antisemitic incidents online and discusses the normalization of anonymity which fuels abuse and extremism. Expresses concern over sexual exploitation of children and far-right radicalization through anonymous accounts.

Supports NUJ's concerns about online abuse towards journalists, particularly women. Mentions Facebook’s internal guidelines that allow for targeting public figures with death threats and calls for greater transparency from tech giants in addressing this issue. Urges the Government to meet with the NUJ ahead of Bill publication.

Discusses the high prevalence of online abuse, highlighting a Turing Institute study estimating up to 40% of UK people have seen or been exposed to abusive content. Mentions racial disparities in exposure to such content and supports Coventry Youth Activists' campaign for Facebook policy changes regarding hate speech against disabled individuals.

Online abuse, exacerbated by anonymity, is a major issue in modern society. One in five children has reported online bullying in the past year; many more do not report it due to normalisation of such behaviour. The mental health issues faced by young people are linked with their exposure to online abuse. Social media platforms must take responsibility and stricter regulations are needed.

Social media has turned bullying into a 24/7 experience, harming the mental health of children and leading to tragic consequences such as suicide. There is evidence of trolls targeting epileptic children with flashing GIFs and exploiting anonymity for harmful actions. Politicians face significant abuse online, particularly women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Social media companies are unresponsive despite promises to tackle issues like anti-vaccination disinformation. Anonymity allows for vile abuse, misinformation, and attempts to undermine democracy from foreign actors. Verification of identities is needed to ensure accountability and protect vulnerable users.

I thank the hon. Member for Stroud (Siobhan Baillie) for securing this debate, which I know very many colleagues across the House wished to participate in. This has been a difficult debate to listen to, particularly the brave speeches from my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking and others. The issues raised will resonate across the country due to the prevalence of online abuse. Women from all walks of life are subjected to it but especially those in public life such as MPs, journalists, or TV presenters. Today’s debate highlights a tsunami of vitriol, hate, misogyny, and racism online, with 84% of respondents experiencing abuse from strangers according to Glitch's research. The online platforms facilitate and permit abusers who take advantage of unregulated powerful platforms run mainly by men to attack women. When Government Ministers attack journalists or falsely accuse them, they open these individuals up to abuse too. Secondly, we need a product safety regulatory approach for online platforms similar to the one applied to products that carry risks, requiring steps to mitigate harm. The latest shocking examples concerning Facebook emerged yesterday revealing its bullying and harassment policy allows public figures to be targeted through death threats. Anonymous accounts should not be amplified nor those which are not anonymous; there is far more that the platforms could do using technology to prevent abuse from being hosted in the first place or take it down quickly when reported.

Congratulated the proposers and highlighted the importance of online anonymity for activists, whistleblowers, teenagers researching their sexuality, and those protecting themselves from abusers. Emphasised that abuse can occur anonymously or under real names, stressing the need to balance free speech with safety. Mentioned the Government’s Online Safety Bill aimed at requiring social networks to enforce terms banning abuse while protecting free speech. Also discussed the potential benefits of user verification on platforms for identifying serious harm and abuse online.

Asked the Minister if he would meet a delegation from the National Union of Journalists to discuss their concerns regarding threats and intimidation directed at members.

Expressed gratitude for allowing the debate, acknowledged the importance of the topic due to high demand and passion from contributors. Suggested a meeting with the Minister and tech companies to discuss verification steps further.