Online safety bill ‘a missed opportunity’ to prevent child abuse, MPs warn

Committee report says draft bill is neither clear nor robust enough to tackle some harmful content

The sharing of some of the most insidious images of child abuse will not be prevented by a new government bill that aims to the make the internet a safer place, MPs have said.

The draft online safety bill is not clear or robust enough to tackle some forms of illegal and harmful content, according to a report by the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee. The landmark bill places a duty of care on tech firms to protect users from harmful content or face substantial fines imposed by the communications regulator Ofcom.