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<p>The Online Harms White Paper proposes establishing a new regulatory framework for
online safety which will make clear companies’ responsibilities to keep UK users safer
online under a new duty of care. This framework will be overseen by an independent
regulator which will have effective enforcement powers. Among the sanctions available
to the regulator will be the power to fine operators who do not comply with their
new duty of care.</p><p> </p><p>The government believes that behaviour which is illegal
or unacceptable offline should be treated in the same way online and it is important
to make sure that the criminal law is fit for purpose to deal with online harms. The
Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport and the Ministry of Justice have
engaged the Law Commission on a second phase of their review of abusive and offensive
online communications.</p><p> </p><p>The Law Commission will review existing communications
offences and make recommendations about options for reform. This will include considering
whether co-ordinated harassment by groups of people online could be more effectively
dealt with by the criminal law.</p>
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