Baroness Anderson concerned about plans to delete online threats

Former Labour MP Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent has spoken about her “appalling experiences” online receiving antisemitic abuse.

Speaking in the House of Lords said she was concerned about provisions in the Online Safety Bill that mandates platforms to immediately delete illegal content.

Anderson – previously known as Ruth Smeeth before taking her new title – said: “The issue of deletion is deeply personal for me – noble lords may be aware that as a female,Jewish, Labour member of the Commons, I was subjected to regular and vicious antisemitic and misogynist online abuse – abuse that too often became threats of violence and death.

“Unfortunately, this violence still continues, these threats still continue and have a direct effect on my personal security.

“I know when I am most vulnerable because I see a spike in my comments online; these comments are monitored – thankfully not by me – and when necessary are referred to the police, with the relevant evidence chain, so that people can be prosecuted.”

The 43 year-old asked a government minister how people will be prosecuted for harassment – or worse – if content online is automatically deleted.

She said:” How will I know if someone is threatening to kill me if the threat has already gone?”

The Jewish Labour Movement’s vice-chair added that she is concerned this will make her and other people in a similar position “less safe offline”.

Lady Anderson also expressed concerns about the Bill’s potential impact on free speech if platforms err on the side of caution when making decisions over what content is illegal, especially when algorithms will be responsible for much of the deletion.

Chief executive of the free speech campaign group Index On Censorship, Anderson was nominated to the Lords by Labour leader Keir Starmer and took the full title of Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent.