Former England footballer and reality stars show support for Online Safety Bill

Stars from Love Island and a former England footballer have shown support for the upcoming Online Safety Bill.

The stars met with Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan to discuss new legislation to increase online safety.

The Online Safety Bill will hopefully see more protection for women and girls online. This a very positive step towards creating a safer and more inclusive online environment for everyone,” said Fara Williams, former England footballer.

Stars in attendance at the meeting also included The Only Way is Essex star Georgia Kousoulou, Love Island contestant Georgia Harrison, and daughter of Jeremy Clarkson and influencer Emily Clarkson.

The Government said these figures are some of the ‘most passionate and dedicated advocates’ in the UK for a safer internet.

“Like any mum, I want my son to grow up feeling safe. These new internet safety laws are so important and will make sure our kids are protected from cyberbullying and illegal content they shouldn’t be seeing,” said Kousoulou.

With ‘one in three women in the UK having experienced online abuse or harassment’, online safety advocates are confident the Bill will help remedy this issue.

“The Online Safety Bill is going to help … by holding social media companies accountable to protect women and girls from online abuse,” said Georgia Harrison.

The Government said the powerful new laws will protect children and the mental health of UK citizens.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder in our determination to protect our children and other vulnerable groups from a host of vile content that is currently all too easy for them to access,” said Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan.

The Online Safety Bill has received support from the NSPCC. Meanwhile, Encrypted messaging services, including WhatsApp and Signal, opposed the Bill.

Last week, the UK Government reassured these organisations that the Bill will not weaken current encryption technology.

In a matter of weeks, the Online Safety Bill is expected to become law.

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