On 27 July 2021, the DCMS Sub-Committee on Online Harms and Disinformation launched a new inquiry into the Government’s approach to tackling harmful online content, outlined in its draft Online Safety Bill.
The draft Online Safety Bill would compel social media sites and search engines to remove harmful content that causes individual harm. This harmful content could include terrorist content, child sexual exploitation and abuse and disinformation.
The Sub-Committee will investigate how focus has shifted since the introduction of the Online Safety Strategy Green Paper in 2017 and explore key omissions of the draft Bill.
The Sub-Committee will also focus on what lessons can be learnt from international efforts to regulate big tech, such as in France, Germany and Australia.
This inquiry by the House of Commons DCMS Sub-Committee is distinct from any work by the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill, established by the House of Lords and the House of Commons on 23 July.