Moved by
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara
1: After Clause 1, insert the following new Clause—
“Purposes of Act
(1) This Act has the following purposes—
(a) to secure that regulated internet services comply with UK law and do not endanger public health or national security,
(b) to provide a higher level of protection for children than for adults in respect of regulated internet services,
(c) to identify and mitigate the risk of reasonably foreseeable harm arising from the operation and design of regulated internet services,
(d) to recognise and respond to the disproportionate level of harms experienced in relation to regulated internet services by people on the basis of one or more protected characteristic,
(e) to apply the overarching principle that regulated internet services should be safe by design,
(f) to safeguard freedom of expression within the law and privacy in relation to regulated internet services, and
(g) to secure that regulated internet services operate with transparency and accountability in respect of online safety.
(2) The Secretary of State and OFCOM must have regard to the need to fulfil these purposes in exercising functions under this Act.”
Member’s explanatory statement
This new Clause would implement a recommendation of the Joint Committee which carried out pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill, setting out a range of purposes for the legislation and making clear that both the Secretary of State and OFCOM must have regard to those purposes when exercising their statutory functions.