The UK Online Safety Bill has passed, putting social media companies in danger depending on their content. It mimics the EU censorship bill.
Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes could barely contain herself in a statement to the press:
“Today is a major milestone in the mission to create a safer life online for children and adults in the UK. Everyone at Ofcom feels privileged to be entrusted with this important role, and we’re ready to start implementing these new laws.”
Podcaster Russell Brand said the law is used against him, along with the Trusted News Initiative. They want to silence him on all social media. Rumble has refused to do so. These unproven allegations have already seriously harmed his reputation and financial well-being.
What was Brand’s crime? Four women have said he raped or sexually abused them 10, 15, 10 years ago. They have no evidence and willingly went to his home. The UK law allows them to demonetize people based on old, unproven allegations.
THE ONLINE SAFETY BILL IS EXTREME CENSORSHIP
The law swings into effect if company bosses continue to ignore requests by the regulator, Ofcom. Ofcom, a government entity, will order them to correct “flaws” in their technology that cause serious harm to children.
Ofcom already fines the tech giants up to 10 percent of their global turnover for breaches. The regulator can also block the firms’ access to UK users.
More than 50 MPs call for platform bosses to face jail unless they – the MPs believe they acted in good faith.
Other Government amendments will force firms to publish assessments of the risk to children on their sites from illegal content and harmful material.
Controlling and coercive behavior will be treated as a “priority” offense, and companies will have to proactively search for it on their platforms and prevent it rather than waiting for someone to flag it to them.
Any disinformation by a foreign state that could destabilize the UK will be treated similarly.
The Bill outlines what they call “communications offenses.” Section 10 details crimes of transmitting “Harmful, false and threatening communications.” It adds the subjective words “harmful” and “false.”
Facebook already censors truthful content they feel is harmful, such as vaccine information.
The bill makes it a crime to “send a message” containing false information in clause 156…then immediately grants immunity to every newspaper, television channel, and streaming service in clause 157.
One must assume that it is OK for the mainstream media to be harmful and dishonest.
However, the primary purpose of the new law is a transfer of responsibility to enable and incentivize censorship.
Search engines will be responsible for what people can see or not. It could result in very large fines or criminal charges.
THE WARNING
WhatsApp and its rival Signal co-signed an open letter warning that the plans contained in the Online Safety Bill will open the door to “indiscriminate surveillance.”
The bill would give the regulator, Ofcom, the power to order companies to use technology to identify illegal material on encrypted services.
The companies argue there is no way to break encryption while retaining privacy.
Watch Russell Brand expose the shady connections in his case:
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