Antisemitism watchdog urges Burnham to prioritise strengthening online safety laws

A leading organisation dedicated to addressing and preventing anti-Jewish racism has joined a coalition of charities, campaign groups, researchers, and academics in urging Andy Burnham to strengthen online safety laws if he becomes the next Prime Minister.

The Antisemitism Policy Trust is one of 47 organisations to join the Online Safety Network in calling for Burnham to intensify the government’s response to online harms.

The coalition is advocating for new legislation that would be regularly updated to keep pace with evolving technology.

Danny Stone, the charity’s chief executive, told Jewish News: “Successive administrations have not done enough to meet the challenges posed by big tech and online hate. In the balance between growth, innovation, and safe, reliable systems, the latter has never been given enough priority.

“An Andy Burnham-led government would do well to put action against online hate at the centre of its plans, because the costs to our democracy and economy will be huge if someone doesn’t get a grip on this problem without delay.”

The network of groups—which also includes the NSPCC, Molly Rose Foundation, Full Fact, Internet Watch Foundation, Hope not Hate, the Fawcett Society, and the Centre for Countering Digital Hate—wants the proposed Digital Media, Data and Communications Bill (previously introduced by Burnham ally Lucy Powell during her tenure as shadow digital secretary) to be scrutinised and monitored by a standing committee of both Houses. This is to ensure it can effectively tackle online harms.

When first announced, both Conservative and Labour politicians emphasised that online harms legislation would be designed to address the sharp rise in anti-Jewish hatred online over the past decade.

However, as in other sectors, campaigners against antisemitism—including the Trust—have argued that existing laws have been weakened due to pressure from the powerful tech sector.

In a statement, the Network contends that the government’s approach to online safety has been “fragmented and slow,” and that Ofcom’s enforcement has lacked urgency.

“The new prime minister now has an opportunity to reset the narrative, refocus the government and the regulator, and show international leadership by taking back control from the global businesses whose pursuit of profit runs counter to the achievement of a good digital life for British citizens,” the statement adds.

Burnham, who is expected to become PM later this month following Keir Starmer’s resignation, is being called upon to “restore faith in politics” and adopt the Online Safety Network’s safety-by-design code of practice.

The statement comes after the government committed to banning children under the age of 16 from accessing certain major social media platforms, following controversy earlier this year surrounding Grok AI producing sexualised images of children and women.