The Online Safety Bill has been postponed until a new prime minister is in place, likely in September. The legislation, which aims to regulate harmful content online, was in its final stages and due for debate in Parliament next week but has been rescheduled due to timetable pressures, a government source confirmed.
Shadow culture minister Alex Davies-Jones called the delay 'an absolutely devastating blow' and accused the Conservatives of prioritising their own ideals over public safety. The bill, which empowers Ofcom as regulator, would require tech giants like Meta and Google to tackle illegal content such as child abuse and terrorist material, with fines of up to £18m or 10% of global turnover.
A government source blamed Labour's no-confidence motion for reducing parliamentary time, forcing the bill to be dropped. Labour rejected this, with Davies-Jones tweeting that timetabling is the government's responsibility. Campaigners expressed concern, while some critics welcomed the pause. Ruth Smeeth of Index on Censorship called the bill 'fundamentally broken', and Conservative MP David Davis urged delay.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries clashed with leadership contender Kemi Badenoch, who said the bill was 'in no fit state' and would legislate for 'hurt feelings'. Dorries questioned which part of the bill does that. The NSPCC's Andy Burrows stressed the bill's importance, saying tech firms have allowed harm to fester. A new PM is expected on 5 September.
