Online Safety Push Marks Major Test for New U.K. Prime Minister

A sprawling push to boost protections against online harms in the United Kingdom has been stuck for months as scandal engulfed the country’s political leadership. But with Liz Truss taking over as the British prime minister on Tuesday, she will now have to decide whether to forge ahead or pump the brakes, marking an early test.

U.K. officials have proposed sweeping regulations under the Online Safety Bill that would require digital platforms to conduct risk assessments for illegal content and material that’s likely to be accessed by kids. Kir Nuthi, senior policy analyst for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation think tank, this week called on Truss to “salvage the bill through significant amendments like clarifying what harmful speech should actually be illegal, only requiring platforms to remove that content, and holding users, not platforms, liable for unlawful speech.”