New Government plans to crack down on harmful content online risk stifling the free press, 'silencing marginalised voices' and introducing 'state-backed censorship on a scale never seen in a liberal democracy', campaigners have warned.
The proposed Online Safety Bill is intended to make tech giants accountable for 'harmful' content on their platforms.
But instead of just taking down illegal hate speech, campaigners warned that in its draft form it could also be used to target wider freedom of expression including from the media – and could even result in blanket bans for publishers.
The draft bill hands more power to Ofcom, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and social media platforms to regulate what news users see on social media.