11 September 2023 , 23:01
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Football legends, TV stars and musicians will today share their experiences of cowardly online abuse at a meeting in No10. The band of celebs, including Love Island ’s Georgia Harrison and most-capped Lioness Fara Williams, will emphasise the urgency for new laws to protect future generations.
Influencer Emily Clarkson, the daughter of ex-Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, and former The Only Way is Essex star Georgia Kousoulou, will also join the discussion about the impact of trolling and other forms of harmful abuse online. The roundtable with Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan comes as the Online Safety Bill is expected to become law within weeks.
The landmark legislation wants to strengthen protections for kids around harmful and illegal content, such as bullying, pornography, the promotion of self-harm and eating disorders and online sexual exploitation and abuse. Social media firms will be forced to proactively tackle illegal content and be held to account for abuse on their platforms under the new laws.
Most-capped Lioness Fara Williams will emphasise the urgency for new laws (PA)
Former Love Island star Georgia Harrison has campaigned for better protections for women and girls (ITV)Ms Kousoulou said: “Like any mum, I want my son to grow up feeling safe. These new internet safety laws are so important and will make sure our kids are protected from cyberbullying and illegal content they shouldn’t be seeing.”
Ms Harrison said: “Violence against women and girls is so common, with one in three women in the UK having experienced online abuse or harassment. The Online Safety Bill is going to help bring this to an end, by holding social media companies accountable to protect women and girls from online abuse.”
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Ms Williams, former England international, said: “It is clear that the online abuse that happens across social media platforms is something that needs to change and so this a very positive step towards creating a safer and more inclusive online environment for everyone."
NSPCC Chief Executive Sir Peter Wanless said: “The Online Safety Bill is a landmark piece of legislation and will become a central pillar of the child protection framework in the UK.”
Ms Donelan said: “The message from government and these brave campaigners is clear. Enough is enough – it’s time to pass our online safety law and crack down on the sick and cowardly trolls who prowl out of sight online.”
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