The Online Safety Act 2023; Assessing the Potential Usefulness of the Act on the Current State of Online Harassment

Multiple studies have expressed concern for the prevalence of online harassment. At least one fifth of children aged 10-15 have experienced the phenomenon, as well as 40% of all adults. To determine the Online Safety Act’s (2023) potential usefulness on the current state of online harassment, criminological and sociological theories such as routine activity theory (Cohen and Felson, 1979), Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) self-control theory and differential association theory (Sutherland, 1939) have been applied to discuss causes and prevention of this category of online harm. Extensive literature has been explored, demonstrating the necessity for the Act and the groups within society which may fall out of scope. Further, a systematic literature review is undertaken, to establish professional’s and scholar’s perspectives of the Online Safety Act’s properties and whether it will be useful in regard to the prevalence of online harassment. The systematic literature review presents indications that the Act is a required intervention, due to the failings of current legislation, the attitudes held by platform ‘bosses’ and other agents within society. It is also widely discussed within the eleven results of the systematic literature review, that the Act is immensely unclear, lacks definition and is extremely contradictory. The Act fails to demonstrate Ofcom’s power throughout the contradictions displayed and it appears that platform interpretation may occur. The study concludes with recommendations for revision of the Online Safety Act and for the government to adopt a societal approach to heal the social ills which exacerbate online harassment.