The UK government has revised its Online Safety Bill

The UK government has revised its Online Safety Bill, delaying plans to scan messages on iMessage and WhatsApp. The bill, which is still under development, is designed to make social media companies more responsible for the safety of their users, particularly children.

The original version of the bill included a provision that would have required social media companies to scan private messages for illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). However, this provision was met with widespread criticism from privacy advocates and tech companies, who argued that it would be ineffective and could lead to mass surveillance.

The revised bill removes the provision requiring social media companies to scan private messages. Instead, the government will focus on working with tech companies to develop new technologies to detect and remove CSAM from their platforms.

The government has also delayed plans to require social media companies to verify the identities of all of their users. This measure was also met with criticism from privacy advocates, who argued that it would be difficult to implement and could lead to discrimination.

The revised bill still includes a number of other provisions designed to protect users from online harm, such as:

• Requiring social media companies to remove illegal content quickly

• Giving users more control over their data

• Holding social media companies accountable for failing to protect their users

The government is expected to introduce the revised bill to Parliament in the coming months.

Why did the UK government revise the Online Safety Bill?

The UK government revised the Online Safety Bill in response to concerns from privacy advocates and tech companies about the original bill's provisions on scanning private messages and verifying user identities. The government also acknowledged that these provisions would be difficult to implement and could have unintended consequences.

What are the implications of the revised Online Safety Bill?

The revised Online Safety Bill is still a significant piece of legislation that will have a major impact on social media companies in the UK. The bill will require social media companies to take more responsibility for the safety of their users, particularly children. However, the revised bill removes some of the more controversial provisions from the original bill, such as the requirement to scan private messages.

What is the next step for the Online Safety Bill?

The UK government is expected to introduce the revised Online Safety Bill to Parliament in the coming months. The bill will then be debated by Parliament and could be amended before it is passed into law.