A coalition of organisations has joined forces in a bid to urge the UK government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from an “avalanche” of online scams.
In a joint letter to Priti Patel, the home secretary, and Oliver Dowden, digital secretary, businesses including Which?, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, and UK Finance, have warned that Britain risks failing in its ambition to be the safest place in the world to be online.
The group is calling for online platforms to be given a legal responsibility to protect users from fake and fraudulent content on their sites that lead to scams.
“While we recognise there are initiatives being progressed by the government designed to tackle aspects of online fraud, there is a growing risk that current plans for future regulatory frameworks are not taking a comprehensive approach to the threats faced by consumers and do not reflect the extent or urgency of the problem,” the letter said.
The Online Safety Bill could be announced as part of the Queen’s Speech next week on 11 May.
Other businesses urging government action include the City of London Corporation, City of London Police, The Investment Association, MoneySavingExpert and Age UK.
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