Law Prof’s expertise shapes Online Safety in the UK

On December 16 2024, Ofcom published the first edition of the codes of practice and guidance for the Act, which aims to protect people from illegal and harmful content online. Professor Kim Barker, Lincoln Law School & Secretary of the British and Irish Law Education & Technology Association (BILETA) was one of the co-authors to the BILETA submission which has helped to shape the new codes of practice for the Online Safety Act. BILETA’s expertise has had a significant impact on the UK’s new Online Safety Act.

Prof Kim Barker, a co-author of the BILETA submission, played a pivotal role in shaping these crucial regulations. Her contributions, along with those of her colleagues, have been cited in all three key volumes of the codes of practice, underscoring BILETA’s direct influence on how platforms will tackle illegal harms in the UK.

BILETA’s submission has been referenced 56 times, shaping each of the published volumes relating to the Online Safety Act including:

Volume 1: Governance and Risk Management (footnotes 113, 148, 157)
Volume 2: Service Design and User Choice (footnote 15)
Volume 3: Transparency, Trust, and Other Guidance (express mentions on pages 14, 71, 85, and footnotes 24, 153, 198, 253)

This highlights the importance of BILETA’s work, and Prof Barker’s role, in informing and guiding the development of effective online safety measures. The full codes of practice and guidance can be accessed on Ofcom’s website, and the BILETA submission via the BILETA website: https://www.bileta.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/BILETA-Response-Feb-2024-UK-Illegal-Harms.odt.

Story submitted by Kim Barker
kbarker@lincoln.ac.uk