Online Anonymity and Anonymous Abuse

Debate between Baroness Winterton of Doncaster and Siobhan Baillie

Wednesday 24th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Siobhan Baillie]

I have been asked to be brief, so I will. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for allowing the debate to go ahead. They rightly challenged me as to whether there should be another debate led by me on this subject in a matter of months, but given that it was oversubscribed and given the passion that we have heard today, I think they can see the importance. I thank the sponsors, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds) and the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams).

We heard the Minister rightly recognise the calls for verification, although we did not quite hear about the steps that could be taken and the importance of anonymity. I hope that the Minister and the DCMS team will meet me and a small number of Members to discuss that further, and perhaps set up a meeting with the tech companies so that we can talk that through. My thanks to everybody who has contributed; I am really chuffed with the support today.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered online anonymity and anonymous abuse.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

We will have a very short, two-minute suspension to make the necessary arrangements, and then move swiftly on to the next debate.