Online Safety Act

The Government is not planning to offer watering down online safety legislation as part of a deal to exempt the UK from US tariffs, a minister has said.

Dame Angela Eagle said on Monday she had seen “no corroboration that that is likely to happen” when challenged over reports such a move was being considered as a way of placating the “tech bros” that surround US President Donald Trump.

According to reports, the arrangement could see amendments to the Online Safety Act, which can currently levy significant fines on US social media companies if they fail to take down harmful content, offered in exchange for a favourable deal on tariffs.

But Dame Angela poured cold water on the suggestion during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday morning, saying she “can’t imagine that we would be in a situation where we would want to see a weakening rather than a strengthening of safeguards in that area”.