Tackling Online Abuse

Petitions Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 14 May 2020 Closed: 28 Mar 2022 Parliament page
The Petitions Committee has launched an inquiry into tackling online abuse, to consider issues raised in a number of petitions from the last Parliament and to follow up on the Committee’s previous inquiry into online abuse and the experiences of disabled people. The inquiry will resume in the wake of … Read more
22 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
5 Events
Activity timeline 12 events
1 Feb
2022
1 Dec
2021
1 Dec
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
23 Nov
2021
23 Nov
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
16 Nov
2021
16 Nov
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
2 Nov
2021
2 Nov
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
2 Jul
2020
2 Jul
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Virtual meeting
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
Chris Philp MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Orla MacRae · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Dr Nicholas Hoggard · Law Commission Katy Minshall · Twitter Professor Penney Lewis · The Law Commission Rebecca Stimson · Meta Theo Bertram · TikTok
Tackling Online Abuse
Andy Burrows · NSPCC Dr Bertie Vidgen · The Alan Turing Institute Ellen Judson · Demos Seyi Akiwowo · Glitch Stephen Kinsella OBE · Clean up the Internet William Perrin OBE · Carnegie Trust UK
Tackling Online Abuse
Chara Bakalis · Oxford Brookes University Danny Stone MBE · Antisemitism Policy Trust Dr Joe Mulhall · HOPE not hate Matthew Harrison · The Royal Mencap Society Nancy Kelley · Stonewall Ruth Smeeth · Index on Censorship
Amy Price Katie Price
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
13 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Tackling online ab…
The Online Safety Bill should retain the provision in the draft Bill to hold platforms...
The Online Safety Bill should retain the provision in the draft Bill to hold platforms liable for failing to consistently enforce their terms of service. We heard that this step would significantly improve users’ online experiences—especially those users most likely … Read more
Government Response
The government states it will continue to keep the recommendation for a stronger legislative framework for legal but harmful content under consideration, while outlining existing Online Safety Bill provisions for child safety, Category 1 services, and Ofcom's enforcement role.
18 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Tackling online ab…
We support the proposals in the Law Commission’s hate crime review to extend aggravated hate...
We support the proposals in the Law Commission’s hate crime review to extend aggravated hate crime offences across all characteristics protected under existing hate crime legislation, and to reform the ‘hostility’ motivation test to better reflect the nature of some … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is carefully considering the recommendations set out in the Law Commission’s final report on Hate Crime Laws, including those to extend aggravated offences and reform the hostility motivation test, and will shortly publish a new strategy.
19 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Tackling online ab…
We recommend that the Government accepts the Law Commission’s proposals to extend the characteristics to...
We recommend that the Government accepts the Law Commission’s proposals to extend the characteristics to which aggravated hate crime offences can apply, and to reform the motivation test for hate crimes to include prejudice as well as hostility; and that … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations on hate crime laws and will shortly publish a new strategy for tackling hate crime. They did not respond to the specific ask of extending characteristics and reforming the motivation test.
20 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Tackling online ab…
Improvements in the drafting of the criminal law are irrelevant if these offences are not...
Improvements in the drafting of the criminal law are irrelevant if these offences are not enforced. Many witnesses suggested the police did not have the resources they needed to be able to effectively investigate online abuse and hate crime. This … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the concern about enforcement and police resources, stating it is carefully considering relevant recommendations from the Law Commission and will shortly publish a new strategy for tackling hate crime.
21 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Tackling online ab…
Alongside the introduction of the new communications offences, we recommend that the Government ensures the...
Alongside the introduction of the new communications offences, we recommend that the Government ensures the police and other law enforcement bodies have adequate resources to effectively investigate and prosecute communications, hate crime, and Violence Against Women and Girls offences committed … Read more
Government Response
The government thanked the Committee and stated it is carefully considering the recommendations from the Law Commission’s report on 'Hate Crime Laws' and will shortly publish a new strategy to tackle hate crime, including online elements.
Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 22 classified

Total 22 recs + 7 conclusions