After years of delays and revisions, the Online Safety Bill will reach its final reading in the House of Lords.

A key part of the law will compel tech companies to proactively take down harmful content.

It’s a hugely complex piece of legislation

The Online Safety Bill is one of the most ambitious attempts to regulate the tech sector yet.

But how will it work?

It’s a tough balancing act between reducing harm and upholding freedom of speech.

Among the challenges for the Online Safety Bill is defining what counts as “legal but harmful” content.

It’s a tough law

O This would undermine encryption and endanger privacy

It’s not perfect

However, it’s not perfect and it needs to be re-examined.

For example, it’s not addressing “legal but harmful” content adequately and may be failing to protect vulnerable adults. It’s also not taking enough into account how these measures impact on freedom of expression and privacy.

It also needs to be clearer about redress and judicial review. This will help prevent overreach or collusion by the government with the regulated industry.

It’s likely to be re-examined

It will then need to be passed by both houses and Royal Assent given before it can become law. This is a regressive and undemocratic approach, which has the potential to undermine technological innovation and restrict freedom of expression. needs read more hear