Internet trolls who send death threats online and people who deliberately share dangerous disinformation about fake Covid cures could soon face a prison sentence, the government has said.
Ministers are creating criminal offences to make the law “fit for the digital age” as part of changes it is adding to the Online Safety Bill that it says will bring “a new age of accountability for tech”.
Nadine Dorries, the culture and digital secretary, said the government wants to be able to bring “the full weight of the law” against those who use the internet “as a weapon”.
The government has also added new offences that online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter will need to proactively tackle and remove as part of their new legal
