Nigel Farage’s resistance to the Online Safety Act has triggered concerns about the potential resurgence of explicit content easily accessible to minors, a member of the Labour party has cautioned. Emily Darlington, a member of the tech committee in Westminster, emphasized the necessity of the bill in safeguarding children from online predators and highlighted the real-world implications of online abuse.
The MP for Milton Keynes Central also expressed worries regarding the prevalence of catfishing, citing it as a significant issue affecting young individuals in her local community. In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Darlington criticized Farage’s stance on repealing the online safety act, asserting that allowing unrestricted access to explicit content on the internet poses a serious risk to young audiences.
Darlington questioned the intentions behind efforts to dismantle the act, emphasizing that it is crucial for protecting children and upholding free speech. Reform UK has advocated for the abolition of the legislation, claiming it fails to adequately shield children and stifles freedom of expression. Darlington, who has confronted online offenders in the past, shared distressing accounts of catfishing incidents and highlighted the alarming rate at which young people are targeted by strangers online.
According to Darlington, the majority of grooming instances now occur in online spaces, leading to severe harm among vulnerable youths. She stressed that online harm transcends the digital realm and can have profound real-life consequences for many young individuals. Despite attempts to reach out for comments, Reform UK did not respond to inquiries.
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