Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
▸
Context
The Government published their initial response to the consultation on online harms White Paper, which proposed a duty of care for companies to keep users safe while protecting freedom of expression.
Charlotte Nichols asks about the delay in publishing the full response and legislation following the closure of the online harms consultation. She mentions that based on police data, an average of one online abuse offence against a child is recorded every 16 minutes in England and Wales, equating to up to 90 offences per day.
The Government is committed to moving as quickly as possible. A full response will be published in the spring, and legislation will be introduced this Session. Many of the offences mentioned are already covered by existing laws, but the online harms Bill will provide a coherent approach.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy