What will the Online Safety Bill do?

First and foremost, the bill will require social media companies to remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place, including content promoting self-harm, selling drugs and weapons, inciting or planning terrorism, sexual exploitation, hate speech, scams and revenge porn. If they fail to act, tech companies will face significant fines that could reach billions of pounds. In some cases, their bosses may even face prison.

The legislation has also created new criminal offences, including cyber-flashing and the sharing of deepfake pornography. The change in laws will make it easier to convict abusers who share intimate images and put more offenders behind bars and better protect the public. Those found guilty of this base offence have a maximum penalty of six months in custody.

Online Safety Bill: what the new government legislation means for your social media