The Online Safety Bill's delay may put young people's lives at risk, claims a father. She shared his opinion after his beloved daughter died.
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Lt. Mike Baute from Florida's Child Predator CyberCrime Unit talks with people on instant messenger during the unveiling of a new CyberCrimes office March 7, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The U.K. government presented the Online Safety Bill as a solution to increasing online harmful content.
This bill specifically aims to require tech firms to protect users, especially young ones, from harmful content.
However, it seems like the Online Safety Bill will still take some time before it can become law. Because of this, Ian Russel shared his concerns.
Online Safety Bill Delay Risks Young People's Safety
According to The Guardian's latest report, Ian Russel's daughter, Molly Russell, died after she was exposed to harmful content.
(Photo : Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)
Chinese youngsters play online games overnight at an internet cafe on June 11, 2005 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. There are near 2,000 internet cafes in Wuhan, and the largest one has more than 1,000 computers. Most of the customers are students from middle schools and colleges.
Also Read: China COVID-19: Cyberspace Administration to Remove Fake News, Misinformation
Authorities said that the 14-year-old girl took her own life back in 2017. They added that Molly watched extensive amounts of content about depression, self-harm, anxiety, and suicide.
She saw most of this content on Pinterest and Instagram. Because of this, her father worries that the Online Safety Bill delay could put children's life at risk.
"If we wait around and chase perfection, we're endangering young people in particular, who are exposed to harmful content," said the man.
What's Delaying Online Safety Bill
ET Magazine stated that the Online Safety Bill is delayed because human rights lawyers want the U.K. government to adjust the bill.
Dr. Susie Alegre, an international human rights lawyer, said she wrote a legal opinion to warn the U.K. regarding the internet safety law.
She explained that the Online Safety Bill doesn't address the root causes of harmful online content.
The lawyer further stated that it could damage the freedom of speech if it's fixed before becoming law.
If you want to learn more about the concerns of human rights lawyers regarding the Online Safety Bill, you can visit this link.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government recently proposed the new AI Bill of Rights.
Previously, the Google Translate service was disabled in China.
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Related Article: The Molly Russell Inquest: Social Media Firms, Including Meta, Must Re-Evaluate Their Safety Measures
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Written by: Griffin Davis
