Member-only story
The Harm To Come
Government proposals to criminalise “online harm” directed at trans people look, on the surface, to be a good thing. The reality is quite the opposite. Establishment bias over speech, “brigading” and social media cowardice seem likely to make this the very opposite, creating a sanitised online space where minorities will be tolerated only so long as they behave themselves.
Now read on.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Back, today, to my least favourite topic (but someone’s got to do it!). Step forward, the “Online Safety” Bill. In this instalment i look at a part of it that, outwardly, seems useful to folks targeted by bad behaviour online. This is the duty on social media providers to prevent “harmful” content from being spread on their networks.
Surely, though, that is a good thing? On the face of it, yes.
But let us take a closer look at what is proposed.
Criminalising “harm”
The Bill introduces a new offence — Pt.10 Cl.150 Harmful communications offence — of causing “harm” to other folks online. The offence is quite widely drawn:
“A person commits an offence if they … send[s] a message, and at time of sending…
