Writing for the ConservativeHome website, Dorries states that ‘unelected Silicon Valley execs have become some of the most powerful people in the world’. She further argues that, instead of endangering free speech, the Bill will in fact create considerably stronger protections.

Responding to accusation that the Bill will be ‘a censor’s charter’, the MP claims that censorship is already happening, and that the Bill will put users in a much stronger position to challenge this. She also clarifies that the largest and most high-risk platforms will only have a duty to remove ‘legal but harmful’ content if it is already banned by their own terms and conditions. This measure is intended to reduce the risk of over-censorship by platforms.

PPA welcomes the Secretary of State’s commitment to protecting content from recognised media outlets, but continues to call for Government to ensure that the definitions of these media outlets encompasses consumer magazine and business media. The redrafted Bill will be presented to parliament on Thursday, and PPA will update members on all significant changes with impacts for publishers.