With the Legal to Say, Legal to Type campaign

The Government has now published a long-awaited draft of the ‘Online Safety Bill’. The Bill will create a “duty of care” on social media sites and search engines to safeguard users from both unlawful and “legal but still harmful” content as well as safeguard freedom of expression and democratically important content.

The Government claims this will make the UK the safest place in the world to surf the internet, protect free speech and tackle issues like child abuse, terrorism and racist abuse.

But critics, including the Adam Smith Institute and the Legal to Say, Legal to Type campaign, warn that it gives extraordinary power to the state and the regulator, Ofcom, to censor legal speech.

This panel aims to highlight the unprecedented threat to free speech posed by the Online Safety Bill and examine the unintended consequences of such a draconian approach.

Panelists:

Baroness Claire Fox, Director - Academy of Ideas
Jim Killock, CEO - Open Rights Group
Camilla de Coverly Veale, Head of Regulation - The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec)
Lulu Freemont, Head of Digital Regulation - techUK
Matthew Lesh, Head of Research - ASI (chair)

Details:

Date: Tuesday, 5th October 2021
Time: 1pm - 2.30pm (UK time)
Location: Exhibition Event Room, Manchester Central

The event is being held inside the secure zone of the Conservative Party Conference. You will need a conference pass to attend. Refreshments will be served.