Leaders at tech companies around the world could face up to two years in prison in the United Kingdom if they do not comply with new online safety laws.

    Draft legislation aims to crack down on social media and other online entities to ensure safety and privacy for users, particularly children. The laws were drafted to prevent uploading and spreading of harmful content such as racism, bullying, fraud and sexual abuse.

     While the legislation has been criticized by Parliament members in the past, the new draft has received bipartisan support.

     The bill has to be voted on by British lawmakers.

   The legislation has been updated several times since its inception. Among the changes are hefty fines or blockages if networks fail to remove harmful content after being notified of its existence, as well as the labeling of sending unsolicited nudes as a criminal offense.

    The fines could be up to 10 percent of the affected company’s annual global income. The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the bill’s regulator, has been granted legal grounds to request information from companies they suspect of not following the bill’s rules.

     If Ofcom is able to prove that the companies withheld information or have not responded properly to notifications of inappropriate or illegal content, the executives would be held criminally liable. This part of the law will be enforced two months after the law itself is enacted, meaning companies and websites will have time to crack down on their content before facing legal consequences.

    Some U.K. residents have pushed back against the new version of the bill, including memes from the Open Rights Group. The organization claims that, despite good intentions, the regulations could result in a slippery slope that could end up violating free speech.

Internet: <www.newsweek.com> (adapted)

    During a ransomware hack, attackers infiltrate a target’s computer system and encrypt its data. They then demand a payment before they will release the decryption key to free the system. This type of extortion has existed for decades, but in the 2010s it exploded in popularity, with online gangs holding local governments, infrastructure and even hospitals hostage. Ransomware is a collective problem—and solving it will require collaborative action from companies, the government and international partners.

     As long as victims keep paying, hackers will keep profiting from this type of attack. But cybersecurity experts are divided on whether the government should prohibit the paying of ransoms. Such a ban would disincentivize hackers, but it would also place some organizations in a moral quandary. For, say, a hospital, unlocking the computer systems as quickly as possible could be a matter of life or death for patients, and the fastest option may be to pay up.

     Collective action can help. If all organizations that fall victim to ransomware report their attacks, they will contribute to a trove of valuable data, which can be used to strike back against attackers. For example, certain ransomware gangs may use the exact same type of encryption in all their attacks. “White hat” hackers can and do study these trends, which allows them to retrieve and publish the decryption keys for specific types of ransomware. Many companies, however, remain reluctant to admit they have experienced a breach, wishing to avoid potential bad press. Overcoming that reluctance may require legislation, such as a bill introduced in the Senate last year that would require companies to report having paid a ransom within 24 hours of the transaction.

Internet:<www.scientificamerican.com>(adapted).