House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Linking the Foreign Interference Offence to the Online Safety Bill
06 July 2022 · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Proposed by Chris Philp Con Croydon South
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The government proposes to link the foreign interference offence to the Online Safety Bill.
- The amendment designates foreign interference as a priority offence, compelling online platforms to take action.
- This move aims to address state-sponsored disinformation more effectively.
Issue summary
The statement addresses linking the foreign interference offence in the National Security Bill to duties in the Online Safety Bill to combat state-sponsored disinformation.
Action requested
The government has tabled an amendment to designate the foreign interference offence as a 'priority offence' under the Online Safety Bill, requiring online platforms to act against such interference. This will force companies to take action on wider ranges of state-sponsored disinformation and platform manipulation than currently required.
Key facts
- The National Security Bill includes a new foreign interference offence targeting malign activities for or on behalf of foreign powers.
- An amendment proposes designating the foreign interference offence as a 'priority offence' in the Online Safety Bill, affecting online platforms.
- Companies will need to proactively prevent individuals from encountering content that amounts to this offence and remove any illegal content once aware.