The Online Safety Bill, one of the landmark pieces of legislation of Boris Johnson's government, has been placed on hold until a new Prime Minister is in place.
The bill was making its way through Parliament and was scheduled to be passed over the next few weeks. However, its approval will now be postponed until September at the earliest, when the Conservative Party is expected to elect a new leader to replace Boris Johnson in the role of UK Prime Minister.
Hailed as groundbreaking regulation of the tech sector, the Online Safety Bill would force social media and other user-generated content-based sites to remove illegal material from their platforms, with a particular emphasis on protecting children from harmful content.
The bill would also ensure the largest content platforms – such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – are responsible for removing forms of “legal but harmful” content that promote self-harm or eating disorders, facing fines of up...