The government’s controversial Online Safety Bill has been put on hold until later in the year as the race for Boris Johnson’s replacement heats up.

Reports first emerged on Wednesday evening that the bill was set to be removed from Commons business to facilitate space for a motion of no confidence in the government.

The bill, which recently moved to report stage and was due to be discussed in Parliament next week, has now been officially paused and will likely return “in the autumn”.

However, cross-party supporters of the bill have voiced concerns that the proposed legislation might ultimately be scrapped depending on the views of the incoming Prime Minister.

Shadow DCMS minister Alex Davies-Jones described the news as a “devastating blow” and suggested the government was “prioritising its own ideals” over online safety.

“Many of us have worked hard on this Bill and that might all now be for nothing thanks to the self-interest of this useless Government,” she added.

If true this is an absolutely devastating blow & another example of the Tories prioritising their own ideals over people’s safety online. Many of us have worked hard on this Bill & that might all now be for nothing thanks to the self-interest of this useless Government. https://t.co/8uCT075fiz

— Alex Davies-Jones MP (@AlexDaviesJones) July 13, 2022

Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC said delays to the bill mean families will “continue to pay the price for the failure and inaction of tech firms”.

“The Online Safety Bill is a crucial piece of legislation that is fundamentally about protecting children from harm and abuse that is taking place on an industrial scale on social media,” he said.

“Online regulation is therefore vital to force their hand and delivering this legislation should be a cornerstone of any government’s duty to keep the most vulnerable in our society safe.”

Online Safety Bill

The Online Safety Bill has been a point of contention for several months now. Under the bill, Ofcom would be granted broader powers to regulate online platforms and prevent the spread of ‘harmful content’.

Companies which failed to comply with the regulations would be subject to hefty fines while senior employees would also be imprisoned for repeated breaches.

Supporters of the bill hailed the proposals as a marked step in tackling harmful content online, with regulations offering greater protections for children and vulnerable adults.

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However, opponents raised serious concerns that the legislation would damage privacy and create a culture of pervasive online surveillance due to requirements around identity verification.

The government has encountered stiff internal opposition to the bill. One of the leading contenders in the Tory leadership race, Kemi Badenoch, welcomed the announcement, suggesting that the bill is in “no fit state to become law”.

“If I’m elected Prime Minister I will ensure the bill doesn’t overreach. We should not be legislating for hurt feelings,” she said.

Speaking in the Commons last week, David Davis MP also criticised the bill, describing it as being “fundamentally mis-designed”.

“It should’ve been several bills, not one,” he said. “It’s so complex it’s very difficult to forecast the consequences of what it sets out to be.”

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