This week Vicki and Geraldine are joined by Damian Collins – MP for Folkestone & Hythe and former ‘shepherd’ of the Online Safety Bill – to discuss the future of the legislation. 

Damian believes the rapid spread of COVID-related disinformation left many of us asking questions about online safety. Principally, he suggests, the Online Safety Bill is there to answer these questions, regulating the platforms we use, and holding them accountable when things go wrong. 

‘Net positivity’ is the idea that online services have a positive impact overall when all users are taken into account. But even if only a small percentage of users are harmed, we don’t stand for this in other industries – so why do we when it comes to online life? The bill, Damian continues, is designed to resolve these inconsistencies.

Discussion also explores Ofcom – the bill’s designated regulatory body – and how they can be responsive to things like parental complaints and feedback.

The podcast concludes by asking how the bill might encourage individuals to develop their critical thinking and media literacy – especially in an age of deepfakes and generative AI. 

You can listen to the episode in full, here. 

5 unmissable Tech Shock episodes