Key Facts

• The ICO welcomes the Online Safety Bill.
• End-to-end encryption provides security but can be a safe harbour for malicious actors.
• Ofcom will have powers to issue technology notices to regulated services if necessary.
• Stephen Almond urges incentivising companies to develop technological innovations without compromising privacy.
• The children’s code and Ofcom's video-sharing platform regime were introduced last year.
• Regulatory co-operation between ICO and Ofcom ensures harmonised introduction of regimes.
• Stephen Almond recommends retaining flexibility within the Online Safety Bill to address future harms.
• Roger Gale is chairing the Committee hearing.
• The witnesses include Sanjay Bhandari from Kick It Out and Lynn Perry from Barnardo’s.
• Technical difficulties delayed Lynn Perry's testimony.
• The Online Safety Bill aims to address issues like racial abuse after sporting events.
• Barnardo’s, a children's charity, is concerned about the risk of exposure to harmful content for young people.
• Lynn Perry mentions the need to protect children from online grooming and predatory behavior.
• There are concerns about criminal exploitation targeting young people through digital platforms.
• Lynn Perry works with more than 380,000 children and young people annually.
• The ability to bring significant evidence of concern through super-complaints is welcomed by organizations representing children's rights.
• Sanjay Bhandari highlights the need for improved transparency reporting from social media firms.
• Eva Hartshorn-Sanders is the head of policy at the Centre for Countering Digital Hate.
• Poppy Wood is the UK director of Reset.tech.
• The session discusses concerns about tackling online abuse, particularly through direct messaging and end-to-end encrypted platforms.
• There are significant enforcement powers in the Bill, including director liability and enforcement on companies.
• Eva Hartshorn-Sanders refers to clause 149 for a review after two years.
• A report by Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that 90% of anti-Muslim hate content reported was not acted upon.
• Poppy Wood addresses algorithmic promotion of harmful content.
• The risk assessment processes are criticized for not adequately mitigating business models that promote harmful content.
• There is a need for transparency and independent audits of platforms' reporting data by Ofcom.
• The content of democratic importance clause makes the Bill hard to implement.
• Facebook took four years to identify and take down a Russian/Iranian-backed page promoting falsehoods in support of Scottish independence.
• Misinformation on social media poses a real threat to elections and democracies, leading to death threats sent to election officials.
• Instagram fails to act on 90% of inappropriate content flagged to it.
• The Online Safety Bill includes provisions for super-complaints and proper complaints procedures (clause 18).
• Clause 136 requires Ofcom to issue a report within two years on whether researchers should get access to data.
• Roger Gale apologises for ending the session without further Q&A opportunities.
• Owen Meredith from News Media Association gave testimony on the need for clarity in the drafting of the journalistic content exemption.
• Matt Rogerson from Guardian Media Group expressed concerns about ambiguity in the definition of journalistic content and its potential impact on legal but harmful content categories.
• Comments sections on news publisher platforms are subject to regulation by Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
• There is a concern that the definition of journalistic content in the Bill may be too narrow, potentially excluding international issues.
• Owen Meredith and Matt Rogerson both agree that the current definitions for recognised news publishers in the Bill set a high bar but need clarity.
• The Online Safety Bill includes protections for journalistic content and recognised news publishers.
• Clause 50 defines 'recognised news publisher'.
• Ofcom will develop guidance on the definition of a newspaper against the criteria set out.
• Tim Fassam, Rocio Concha, and Martin Lewis are providing testimony.
• The Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association (PIMFA) is represented by Tim Fassam.
• Which? is represented by Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy.
• Martin Lewis from MoneySavingExpert will join the session later.
• Search engines are not subject to the same duties as social media platforms.
• Booster content is user-generated but should be treated like paid-for advertising.
• Priority illegal content requires transparency reports but fraudulent advertising does not.
• Roger Gale is questioning Government Back Benchers.
• Alex Davies-Jones asks about a right to redress for victims of online scams.
• Gale is seeking input on whether to include an ombudsman in the Online Safety Bill.
• Martin Lewis had to sue Facebook for defamation to stop scam adverts.
• £3 million was provided by Facebook to set up Citizens Advice Scam Action.
• London Capital & Finance caused individuals to lose over £650 million, expected to reach £1 billion in costs.
• Tech platforms are suggested to be part of the financial services compensation scheme architecture.
• The current Bill does not provide an easy tool for users to report fraudulent advertising.
• There is a suggestion to include complaints from individuals affected by accounts that imply association with legitimate firms but do not directly claim affiliation.
• Ofcom needs additional resources to enforce the expanded scope of the Bill which now includes fraud and fraudulent advertising.
• The Online Safety Bill includes provisions to mitigate scam advertisements but does not specify thresholds for what is acceptable.
• Martin Lewis had to sue Facebook due to the prevalence of scam ads, highlighting the need for clearer enforcement mechanisms.
• Ofcom can impose fines up to 10% of global revenue as a deterrent against non-compliance with the bill's provisions.
• Roger Gale welcomes Frances Haugen.
• Frances Haugen is a former Facebook employee.
• The session is part of the examination related to the Online Safety Bill.
• AI systems are limited in distinguishing between content of democratic importance and hate speech.
• Meta did not disclose the number of human moderators hired, indicating a need for mandatory accountability laws.
• Transparency around processes that keep children under age 13 off platforms is vital for child safety.
• Facebook could be required to publish estimates on underage users' presence annually.
• AI struggles to identify harmful content effectively; Facebook's own document showed it only took down 0.8% of violent content.
• Current standards for what qualifies as journalistic publication are too broad.
• Anonymity on social media can be exploited for disinformation campaigns.
• The Committee will meet again on Tuesday 7 June at 9:25 am in Committee Room 14.
• No specific actions or policy changes are proposed.