As Canada works on various legislation regarding regulation of the internet, the UK is also discussing a Bill aimed at tackling the difficult issue of internet regulation. Mentioned in some class presentations, the Online Safety Bill is currently in the House of Lords at the Committee Stage, and its progress can be followed on the link below (1). It is interesting to see the different amendments being made at each stage and the discussions surrounding the regulation of the ‘digital world. As Canada is expected to table an “online harms” or “online safety bill” soon, and it is already attracting controversy (2), it will be interesting to see how each country chooses to define and approach what is considered harmful on the internet. There have also been discussions regarding who needs to be protected, whether it be children or if the government should be stepping with legislation to protect adults from online harms as well. As both the UK and Canadian regulatory attempts are relatively novel at the moment, the resulting legislation, or lack there of, may be integral to the navigating the future of internet regulation in regard to online safety.
(1) https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137
(4) Image from 2022 UK Press Release Regarding Online Safety Bill: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-protections-for-children-and-free-speech-added-to-internet-laws