Online Safety Act becomes law

The Online Safety Act has received Royal Assent, putting the rules it contains into law.

The Act places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and rapidly remove illegal content, including terrorism and pornography.

Tech companies will also be responsible for ensuring that children cannot see material that is harmful to them such as bullying, content promoting self-harm and eating disorders, and pornography.

Those that fail to comply with the law will face fines and even prison for company bosses.

The law intends to ensure that tech companies remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place, including content promoting self-harm and prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content including pornographic content, content that promotes, encourages or provides instructions for suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, content depicting or encouraging serious violence or bullying content.

Tech companies will also have to enforce age limits and use age-checking measures on platforms where content harmful to children is published; ensure social media platforms are more transparent about the risks and dangers posed to children on their sites, including by publishing risk assessments; and provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: "Today will go down as an historic moment that ensures the online safety of British society not only now, but for decades to come.

"I am immensely proud of the work that has gone into the Online Safety Act from its very inception to it becoming law today. The Bill protects free speech, empowers adults and will ensure that platforms remove illegal content.

"At the heart of this Bill, however, is the protection of children. I would like to thank the campaigners, parliamentarians, survivors of abuse and charities that have worked tirelessly, not only to get this Act over the finishing line, but to ensure that it will make the UK the safest place to be online in the world."

Home secretary Suella Braverman said: "This landmark law sends a clear message to criminals – whether it’s on our streets, behind closed doors or in far flung corners of the internet, there will be no hiding place for their vile crimes.

"The Online Safety Act’s strongest protections are for children. Social media companies will be held to account for the appalling scale of child sexual abuse occurring on their platforms and our children will be safer.

"We are determined to combat the evil of child sexual exploitation wherever it is found, and this Act is a big step forward."