Online Harms — [Sir Edward Leigh in the Chair]

Focused on financial scams and antisemitism online, raising concern over the 344 online incidents recorded by Community Security Trust between January and June. He cited examples of Zoombombing, covid conspiracy theories, and vile antisemitic tweets from Wiley. Criticised platform enforcement for being invisible, requesting enforceable codes of action and considering senior management liability for social media companies.

I commended the debate's importance and outlined concerns regarding age verification, anonymity of abusers, and the need for digital resilience education in schools. I questioned why age verification measures have been delayed and called for immediate action on these issues.

Ms Harris highlighted the significant issue of online sellers not protecting consumers who purchase electrical goods, leading to potential safety risks. She cited statistics indicating that electricity causes more than 14,000 house fires annually in the UK and that 93% of customers expect online platforms to prevent them from buying counterfeit or substandard products. With the increase in online shopping due to the pandemic, she warned about the potential for tragic consequences if action is not taken.

Expressed concern over the lack of government action on online harms, highlighting that UK adults spent over four hours a day online during the peak of lockdown. Emphasized the need for regulation to keep pace with technology, crime, and consumer needs. Cited examples of child abuse facilitated through social media platforms and called for more support in schools. Questioned the Government's plan to address economic online harms and misinformation on vaccines.

Tributes my hon. Friend on securing the debate and raises concerns about reduced takedown rates for URLs focusing on paedophilia and child exploitation images due to funding issues during the pandemic, urging the Government to address this seriously. Chris Elmore highlighted the spread of anti-vax misinformation online, noting that an additional 7.8 million people have visited such pages and followed social media accounts in the last year. He expressed concern over the platforms' failure to address harmful content related to the pandemic and urged them to take stronger action against false information. Additionally, Elmore raised concerns about cyberbullying and the exploitation of young people through gaming and livestreaming, urging the government to allocate more resources for tackling these issues.

He congratulated Holly Lynch on securing the debate and inquired about the timeline for publishing the White Paper response and introducing legislation. He also questioned whether the scope of the duty of care had been diluted, expressed concerns over potential US trade deal negotiations impacting the bill's passage, and sought clarification regarding provisions for enhancing digital capabilities.

Fiona Bruce discussed the Government's commitment to protect children from harmful sexualised content online. She highlighted that only a small proportion of pornography sites are UK-based and stressed the need for age verification systems to block access to such sites for under-18s. Bruce expressed disappointment at the delay in implementing part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017, which introduced proposals for age verification. She urged the Government to proceed with this legislation immediately and not weaken proposed provisions.

Online harms, including pornography exposure and threats to share intimate images, are significant concerns for parents across the UK. More than 100 sex crimes against children were recorded daily in the first three months of this year, with lockdown exacerbating online child abuse. Anderson highlights the need for urgent action on issues such as youth violence incited through the internet, the criminalisation of threats to share intimate images, and age verification requirements for pornographic websites.

He highlighted the prevalence of online sex crimes against children, antisemitic comments, the anti-vax movement's influence on social media, and the need for immediate government action. He also discussed mental health issues stemming from online bullying, age verification requirements, and the urgent need to address pandemic-related frauds and scams.

I highlighted the mental health impact of online abuse on children and youth, citing statistics on bullying and the need for robust legislation to address these issues. I also expressed concern about anonymous impersonation online.

Commends the hon. Lady for securing the debate and draws a parallel with broadcast media regulation, suggesting similar regulatory approaches could prevent some of the online harms discussed. She emphasized the complexity of online harms and highlighted that while companies have acted in some areas, a consistent response is lacking. She called for legislative reform beyond just regulatory frameworks to address image-based abuse, age verification, and election intimidation.

The hon. Gentleman highlighted his disgust at YouTube providing links to a notorious antisemitic radio station called Radio Aryan during the debate, questioning why it had not been removed. Stephen Doughty highlighted the issue of online harms beyond mainstream social media platforms, mentioning specific instances of extremist content on lesser-known sites such as BitChute, Gab, Discord, and even Tripadvisor. He cited examples of videos glamorizing drugs gangs and violence that were not removed due to claims of freedom of expression. Doughty also discussed the recruitment by jihadi organisations and attacks on BAME communities, antisemitism, Islamophobia, LGBT+ community, and the dissemination of fake news via Russian state actors. He drew attention to two specific issues regarding extreme right-wing groups: The British Hand recruiting through social media platforms like Instagram and Telegram, and the Order of Nine Angles spreading their message on YouTube.

The MP supports the need to take action against online harms, mentioning that over 500,000 people have signed petitions calling for criminalisation of online abuse and creation of a register of offenders.