Online Safety Bill - new clause on encouraging or assisting self-harm

[ResisterRex]

Worth keeping an eye on:

New clause 16—Communication offence for encouraging or assisting self-harm
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-12-05/debates/E155684B-DEB0-43B4-BC76-BF53FEE8086A/OnlineSafetyBill
(See top of link for full text on that clause)
Miriam Cates:

"inciting a child to harm their body, whatever that harm is, should be criminalised, and I support the sentiment of new clause 16, which seeks to do that. Sadly, lots of children, particularly girls, go online and type in “I don’t like my body”. Maybe they are drawn to eating disorder sites, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) has mentioned, but often they are drawn into sites that glorify transition, often with adult men that they do not even know in other countries posting pictures of double mastectomies on teenage girls."

That looks really promising

Youtube clip for anyone who wants to watch...

Nice tie, that first bloke speaking.

And bravo, Miriam Cates.

More from MC...

John Nicholson MP (not the great tie wearer) saying

'this is fantasyland, it is incredibly difficult to get gender reassignment surgery and the 'they are just confused' stuff is exactly what was said to me as a young gay man. The Honourable Lady must realise this really simplifies a complicated issue and patronises people going through difficult choices'

I knew I recognised him - he spoke in support of Mermaids in the recent case against the LGBA iirc.

I wonder whether he is wilfully blind to the reality of what is happening to our children, especially girls, or whether he has just taken what he has been told by 'experts' and has run with it?

Or whether he knows exactly what is going on but just doesn't care?

Miriam Cates is fantastic.

Yes, he was the verbose witness. I think he tweeted about the case a couple of weeks ago too. A complete no-no on a case still awaiting judgment.