Newspapers and The New Framework For Regulating Online Harms

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about newspapers and the new framework for regulating online harms.

Online spaces have for too long been a wild west, where people abuse others and spread disinformation with impunity. I have long supported action to tackle online harms and I therefore welcome the Government’s plans to introduce a new duty of care on online companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator.

But it is disappointing that despite launching a public consultation on these proposals in April 2019, the final response remains outstanding. In my view, this delay is unacceptable.

As you know, it has been confirmed that the proposals will not seek to regulate journalistic content. The Government says it does not wish to intervene in what the press can and cannot publish, including on their websites. Further detail about an exemption for journalistic content is expected in the full response to the online harms consultation later this year.

The Government also takes the view that there is now a stronger self-regulatory system for the press and the new online harms framework should not duplicate the regulation of services which are already regulated. I know this will be disappointing to supporters of the Hacked Off campaign.

A free and fair press is of course vital to protecting democracy and holding the powerful to account. However, I appreciate the point you raise about the potential anomaly between regulating people’s social media posts but not the harmful content which can appear in comments under newspaper articles online. I hope this issue will be carefully considered as part of the consultation process and I am sure it will be debated when Parliament considers the new proposals on online harms.

What is clear is that we urgently need new laws to curb abuse and ensure people are kept safe online. I will continue to press for the promised online harms legislation to be introduced as soon as possible, and I will certainly bear in mind the points you raise when this is debated in the House of Commons.

Thank you once again for contacting me and for sharing your views.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP