Rishi Sunak faces fresh Tory rebellion over landmark online safety bill

RISHI Sunak faces a fresh Tory rebellion over the landmark online safety bill.

At least 36 backbench MPs are backing a bid for social media bosses to face prison sentences if they fail to protect kids from hate online.

The idea was floated and booted out under Boris Johnson’s government.

But a string of top Tories including Priti Patel and Sir Iain Duncan Smith have supported the move – which could be voted on as soon as next week.

It could see senior managers at tech firms face up to two years behind bars if they breach new laws to keep kids safe.

They would be forced to take a series of measures to make sure young people don’t see sick material which could harm them.

The new law at the moment would see companies fined up to 10 per cent of their global turnover for breaking the rules.

Ministers have met Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, to discuss their concerns.

Downing Street said yesterday they would “carefully consider all the proposed amendments” to the bill, adding: “our aim is to hold accountable social media platforms for harmful content, while also ensuring the UK remains a great place to invest and grow from a tech business”.