UK lawmakers vote to jail tech execs who fail to protect kids online

TL;DR

Today, the UK House of Commons reached a deal to appease those lawmakers, Reuters reports, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government agreeing to modify the Online Safety Bill to ensure its passage.It now appears that tech company executives found to be "deliberately" exposing children to harmful content could soon risk steep fines and jail time of up to two years.Next, it will move on to review by the House of Lords, where the BBC reports it will “face a lengthy journey.” Sunak says he will revise the bill to include new terms before it reaches the House of Lords, where lawmakers will have additional opportunities to revise the wording.Reports say that tech executives responsible for platforms hosting user-generated content would only be liable if they fail to take “proportionate measures” to prevent exposing children to harmful content, such as materials featuring child sexual abuse, child abuse, eating disorders, and self-harm.UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said in a statement that this amendment would prevent senior managers at tech companies from ignoring otherwise enforceable requirements of the Online Safety Bill, giving Ofcom “additional teeth to deliver change and ensure that people are held to account if they fail to properly protect children.”Last month, Donelan wrote a letter to parents explaining why she was advocating for criminal penalties for any tech leaders who “consent or connive” to skirt Online Safety Bill requirements."

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