An encouraging number of MPs have so far expressed support for Social Media Platforms (Identity Verification) Ten Minute Rule Bill, which was tabled last week.
Ten MPs added their names as formal co-sponsors of the Bill, alongside Siobhan Baillie MP: Maria Miller MP, Laura Trott MP, Dame Margaret Hodge MP, Caroline Nokes MP, John Nicolson MP, David Davis MP, Jeremy Wright MP, Carla Lockhart MP, Esther McVey MP, and Andrew Griffiths MP. This is a diverse and experienced group of parliamentarians, which includes, amongst others, 4 Conservative former cabinet ministers, a Labour former minister, the current SNP frontbench spokesperson on digital, the Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, and a member of the DUP.
A number of other MPs have subsequently indicated their support, including by posting photos on social media. We expect this list to continue to grow.
Cross-party support for action on this issue stems both from MPs’ awareness of the
experiences and concerns of their constituents, and from them and their staff’s own experiences on social media.
Many other parliamentarians are currently engaged in Select Committee work considering the issue of anonymity on social media, as part of their scrutiny of the Draft Online Safety Bill. We hope to see proposals for how the Online Safety Bill could tackle the misuse of anonymity, along the lines of those set out in the Social Media Platforms (Identity Verification) Ten Minute Rule Bill, featuring in the recommendations which these committees make to the government.