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Science
Laura Higson-Bliss, Lecturer in Law, Keele University

Online safety bill: ambiguous definitions of harm could threaten freedom of speech – instead of protecting it

tommaso79/Shutterstock

The UK government’s much anticipated online safety bill has now been released. The bill seeks to impose a duty of care on companies, such as social media platforms, to remove illegal content, and in some cases, “legal but harmful” content, quickly.

Failure to comply will result in heavy fines or, in extreme circumstances, company executives facing prosecution. Yet what is considered “legal but harmful” content remains unclear.

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