Announces an extension to the Online Safety Act
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Liz Kendall. Source: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Liz Kendall has been named the UK’s new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, succeeding Peter Kyle as a part of a wide-ranging cupboard reshuffle triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
The Labour MP for Leicester West takes on the put up after serving 14 months as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Kyle, her predecessor, has been reassigned to lead the Department for Business and Trade, whereas the shake-up additionally introduced the departures of Commons chief Lucy Powell and Investment Minister Baroness Poppy Gustafsson.
First elected in 2010, Kendall has held a number of key roles inside Labour, together with shadow junior well being minister from 2011 to 2015, and has served on vital parliamentary committees resembling Education, Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Science, Innovation and Technology.
She additionally ran for the Labour management in 2015 after Ed Miliband’s resignation.
The 54-year-old, whose father held a senior role on the Bank of England, labored on the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and later suggested Labour politician Harriet Harman earlier than starting her parliamentary profession.
Her appointment follows a trajectory marked extra by political expertise than direct technology business data, comparable to her predecessor.
Kendall now faces the problem of driving the UK’s digital transformation and main the federal government’s ambitions in AI.
Upon assuming her new role, Kendall expressed enthusiasm for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the work forward: “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be here and to have been given the opportunity and honour to work with all of you. I really believe this department can help build the future for people in every part of the country, no matter their background.”
Shortly after Kornell’s appointment, the DSIT introduced new pressing measures to strengthen the Online Safety Act.
These purpose to impose stricter authorized obligations on technology firms to determine and take away content material encouraging severe self-harm.
“While platforms already have to take specific steps to protect children from this dangerous self-harm content, the government recognises that adults battling mental health challenges are equally at risk from exposure to material that could trigger a mental health crisis or worse,” the division mentioned in a press release.
The new guidelines will classify such content material as a precedence offence, making use of to all customers.
Kendall bolstered the federal government’s stance, stating: “This government is determined to keep people safe online. Vile content that promotes self-harm continues to be pushed on social media and can mean potentially heart-wrenching consequences for families across the country.”
She harassed that social media firms should perceive that speedy motion to defend customers is a authorized requirement, not elective.
“Our enhanced protections will make clear to social media companies that taking immediate steps to keep users safe from toxic material that could be the difference between life and death is not an option, but the law,” Kendall mentioned.
However, critics have questioned the doubtless effectiveness of the brand new measures in addition to what they are saying concerning the steadiness of presidency management over internet content material.
“Aimed at blocking ‘self-harm’ content, algorithms will misidentify support resources and content will vanish behind age gates,” predicted the Open Rights Group in a put up on Mastodon.
The new laws are anticipated to take impact 21 days after receiving parliamentary approval by each Houses.