A bill designed to regulate specific internet services in the UK, including activities within virtual worlds, has successfully passed through Parliament and now awaits the assent of King Charles to become law.
On September 19, the UK government announced the passage of the Cybersecurity Bill through its final debate in Parliament. The bill, soon to become British law, has raised discussions among lawmakers about whether legislation intended to protect online users, particularly children, should extend to virtual environments like virtual worlds.
The government has detailed that the final version of the bill will require social media platforms to promptly remove illegal content or prevent its initial appearance, with a specific focus on content deemed harmful to children. Additionally, these companies will be obligated to publish user risk assessments that outline how to report online safety-related issues. Failure to comply with these rules could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global annual revenue, whichever is greater. For the largest platforms, this could mean fines amounting to billions of pounds.
Some critics of the bill had advocated for an amendment that would provide protection for end-to-end encryption, fearing that the legislation might create a backdoor for government access, potentially compromising user privacy. Apple had previously voiced concerns, stating that a prior version of the bill posed a significant threat to surveillance, identity theft, fraud, and data breaches.
Signal Foundation President Meredith Whittaker expressed concerns that the encrypted messaging app might be compromised if it were forced to build backdoors under the guidelines of the Online Security Act. This statement came after lawmakers in Parliament considered the amendment but did not specify protections for encrypted services. On the same day that the Online Safety Bill was passed, the House of Lords advanced the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, which aims to address cryptocurrency-related financial crime in the UK. While lawmakers are expected to consider final amendments to the legislation before passing it, the latest version seems likely to grant UK authorities increased powers to investigate and seize cryptocurrencies used for illegal purposes.
On September 1, the UK implemented travel rules for cryptocurrency companies offering services to residents, in line with similar measures adopted by countries like the United States, Japan, and Germany. The framework may require companies to halt certain cryptocurrency transfers originating from jurisdictions that have not yet complied with travel rules.
