Digital Economy Bill — Report (2nd Day) — 20 Mar 2017 at 19:15

Moved by Baroness Buscombe

25YP: Clause 25, page 27, line 7, leave out “prohibited” and insert “extreme pornographic”

Moved by Baroness Buscombe

25YQ: After Clause 25, insert the following new Clause-“Guidance by Secretary of State to regulator (1) The Secretary of State may issue guidance to the age-ve regulator in relation to the exercise of the regulator’s functions, and may from time to time revise that guidance.(2) The guidance may cover (among other things) the following matters-(a) considerations to be applied in determining-(i) whether arrangements for making pornographic material available comply with section 15(1);(ii) whether a person is an ancillary service provider, for the purposes of section 22;(b) the approach to be taken by the regulator to the exercise of its powers to give notices under sections 20 , 22 and 23;(c) the preparation and publication of guidance and reports by the regulator and the content of such guidance and reports;(d) the maintenance by the regulator of arrangements meeting the requirements of section 17(4)(a) and (b).(3) The regulator must have regard to the guidance.(4) The Secretary of State must lay before both Houses of Parliament the guidance, and any revised guidance, issued under this section.”

Moved by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

25YR: After Clause 26, insert the following new Clause-“Code of practice for commercial social media platform providers on online abuse(1) Within six months of the passing of this Act, the Secretary of State must publish a code of practice about the responsibilities of social media platform providers to protect children and young people from online abuse and bullying.(2) The Secretary of State may bring the code of practice into force by regulations made by statutory instrument.(3) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.(3) The code of practice must include-(a) the overarching duty of care of internet service providers and social media platform providers to ensure the safety of a child or young person involved in any activity or interaction for which that service provider is responsible;(b) the obligation to inform the police with immediate effect if notified that content on social media sites contravene existing legislation;(c) the obligation to remove content with immediate effect if notified that posts on social media sites contravene existing legislation;(d) the obligation to have specific terms of use that prohibit cyber-bullying and provide a mechanism for complaints of cyber bullying to be received and for the offending content to be removed; and(e) their responsibility to work with education professionals, parents and charities to give young people the skills to use social media safely.(4) Commercial social media platform providers must comply with the code of practice, once it is in force.(5) The Secretary of State may from time to time revise and re-publish the code of practice. (6) The Secretary of State may bring into force a revised and re-published code of practice by regulations made by statutory instrument.(7) In this section-“commercial social media platform provider” means a person who operates on a commercial basis an internet site on which people can interact;“cyber-bullying” means material that has the effect of seriously threatening, intimidating, harassing or humiliating children and young people.”

Ayes 203, Noes 176.

Debate in Parliament |