Session 2012 - 13
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Online Safety Bill [HL]


 

Online Safety Bill [HL]

 

 
 

Contents

1   

Duty to provide a service that excludes pornographic images

2   

Duty to provide a means of filtering online content

3   

Duty to provide information about online safety

4   

Reports

5   

Interpretation

6   

Short title, commencement and extent

 

HL Bill 8                                                                                               

55/2

 
 

Online Safety Bill [HL]

1

 

A

Bill

To

Make provision about the promotion of online safety; to require internet

service providers and mobile phone operators to provide a service that

excludes pornographic images; and to require electronic device manufacturers

to provide a means of filtering content. 

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1       

Duty to provide a service that excludes pornographic images

(1)   

Internet service providers must provide to subscribers an internet access

service which excludes pornographic images unless all the conditions of

subsection (3) have been fulfilled.

(2)   

Where mobile telephone network operators provide a telephone service to

5

subscribers which includes an internet access service, they must ensure this

service excludes pornographic images unless all the conditions of subsection

(3) have been fulfilled.

(3)   

The conditions are—

(a)   

the subscriber opts-in to subscribe to a service that includes

10

pornographic images;

(b)   

the subscriber is aged 18 or over; and

(c)   

the provider of the service has an age verification policy which has been

used to confirm that the subscriber is aged 18 or over.

(4)   

In subsection (3)—

15

“opts-in” means a subscriber notifies the service provider of his or her

consent to subscribe to a service that includes pornographic images.

2       

Duty to provide a means of filtering online content

Manufacturers of electronic devices must provide customers with a means of

filtering content from an internet access service at the time the device is

20

purchased.

 

HL Bill 8                                                                                               

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Online Safety Bill [HL]

2

 

3       

Duty to provide information about online safety

Internet service providers and mobile telephone network operators must

provide prominent, easily accessible and clear information about online safety

to customers at the time the internet service is purchased and shall make such

information available for the duration of the service.

5

4       

Reports

OFCOM must prepare a report for the Secretary of State about the operation of

this Act—

(a)   

every three years from the date of Royal Assent; and

(b)   

at the direction of the Secretary of State.

10

5       

Interpretation

In this Act—

“age verification policy” is a policy which sets out the steps to be taken to

establish the age of the subscriber;

“electronic device” means a device that is capable of connecting to an

15

internet access service and downloading content;

“image” and “pornographic” have the same meaning as in section 63 of

the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008;

“internet access service” and “internet service provider” have the same

meaning as in section 124N of the Communications Act 2003;

20

“OFCOM” has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the

Communications Act 2003;

“online safety” means the safe and responsible use of the internet by

children and young people on an electronic device;

“subscriber” means a person who receives the service under an agreement

25

between the person and the provider of the service; and

“telephone service” means a service providing calls (including voice,

voicemail and conference and data calls), supplementary services

(including call forwarding and call transfer) and messaging and

multimedia services (including short message services, enhanced

30

media services and multimedia services).

6       

Short title, commencement and extent

(1)   

This Act may be cited as the Online Safety Act 2012.

(2)   

This Act shall come into force six months after it has received Royal Assent.

(3)   

This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

35

 
 

 

Online Safety Bill [HL]

 
 

A

Bill

To Make provision about the promotion of online safety; to require internet

service providers and mobile phone operators to provide a service that

excludes pornographic images; and to require electronic device manufacturers

to provide a means of filtering content. 

 


 
 


 
 


 
 

Baroness Howe of Idlicote

 
   
 

Ordered to be Printed, 10th May 2012

 
 

© Parliamentary copyright House of Lords 2012

 

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through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/

 

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£x.xx

 
HL Bill 8(xxxxxx)55/2
 

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contents
 

© Parliamentary copyright
Revised 11 May 2012