New online safety laws to expedite criminal sanctions for tech executives in the UK.

• The Online Safety Bill in the U.K. now has a shorter timeframe for executives to face prosecution or imprisonment, which is two months instead of the previously proposed two years.
• The bill now holds senior managers at tech firms criminally responsible for destroying evidence, providing false information in interviews with Ofcom, and obstructing the watchdog when it enters company offices.
• Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok have faced criticism for enabling the spread of harmful content.

If executives at companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok do not cooperate with the U.K. internet regulator, Ofcom, they may face jail time sooner than expected.

The Online Safety Bill in the U.K. now has a shorter timeframe for executives to face prosecution or jail time, which is two months instead of the previously proposed two years.

The Online Safety Bill will be introduced to Parliament on Thursday and may be enacted this year.

It is imperative that social media platforms, search engines, and other content-sharing platforms implement measures to safeguard children, combat illegal activities, and adhere to their stated terms and conditions.

On Wednesday, the government announced that several new offenses had been included in the bill, making senior managers at tech companies criminally responsible for destroying evidence, providing false information in interviews with Ofcom, and obstructing the watchdog when it enters company offices.

At Linklaters law firm, Ben Packer stated that the devil lies in the details.

The final law must limit offenses to only cover information that an individual could reasonably be expected to provide and include defenses, such as if a senior manager honestly believed that what they provided to Ofcom was not false, as stated in a CNBC-shared statement.

The enforcement of Ofcom's powers will be a significant challenge, as many of the platforms within the regime's scope do not have a physical presence or individual staff members based in the UK, according to Packer.

Critics have accused Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok of allowing harmful content to be shared on their platforms, despite their efforts to remove it. Lawmakers remain dissatisfied with their performance.

Nadine Dorries, the U.K. Digital Minister, stated that tech firms have not been held responsible for the harm, abuse, and criminal behavior that occur on their platforms. Instead, they have been allowed to self-regulate.

Dorries proposed that internet safety measures should be similar to car seat belts.

Dorries emphasized the need for basic protections in the digital age, stating that failure to act could result in the sacrifice of children's wellbeing and innocence to unchecked algorithms.

Ofcom will have the power to fine companies up to 10% of their annual global turnover if they fail to comply with the rules, and Meta could be fined up to $10 billion based on its 2021 revenue figures.

New recommendations included

The Online Safety Bill received approval from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which adopted 66 recommendations from a joint committee. These recommendations included holding online platforms accountable for activities such as promoting self-harm, extreme pornography, and cyber flashing.

The Online Safety Bill's recommendations, according to Damian Collins, chair of the joint committee, represent a "huge moment" for internet users worldwide, as the internet is currently a "Wild West" in terms of safety.

In December, the joint committee on the Online Safety Bill issued a list of recommendations to strengthen the bill while safeguarding freedom of speech and the press, as stated by Collins.

The Government has adopted many of our recommendations, making the U.K. the safest place to be online in the world. The era of self-regulation for Big Tech has ended.

Before a bill can become an act, it must undergo a formal process that involves giving U.K. lawmakers the opportunity to debate its aspects.