Controversial measures that would have forced social media sites to take down material designated "legal but harmful" are to be removed from The Online Safety Bill, it has been reported. The Government said it was making the changes to the proposed internet safety laws after fears were raised about the effect such obligations would have had on the principle of free speech.
Under the original Bill’s plans, the biggest platforms would have been compelled to not only remove illegal content, but also any material which had been named in the legislation as legal but potentially harmful. These measures had drawn criticism from free speech campaigners, who claimed that governments or tech platforms might use the Bill to censor certain content. However, the move was branded "a hugely backward step" by the Samaritans charity.
Now the key requirements of the Bill are being redefined. Platforms will be required to remove illegal content, as well as take down any material that is in breach of its own terms of service.
