I am so proud to have worked with Zach Eagling, the Epilepsy Society, Dean Russell MP and the Daily Express newspaper to make ‘epilepsy trolling’ a criminal offence within the Online Safety Bill.
The legislation will stop people from electronically sending or showing flashing images to someone with epilepsy with the intention of causing them harm.
There were times where it didn’t look possible but Dean and I followed in Zach’s steps and didn’t give up, and achieved something quite rare politically by getting the amendment agreed by government and included in the ground-breaking Online Safety Bill.
I have mentioned my campaign for #Zachslaw many times in the past but for anyone who is not aware of his story; Zach has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and was just 9 when he was cruelly trolled by sick individuals sending flashing images to him to purposely trigger seizures. It turned out his experience wasn’t unique and many people with epilepsy had also had similar experiences. That is why I have been working so hard with Dean Russell to ensure this despicable act would be made illegal.
After campaigning on this for well over a year and a half, scrutinising the Draft Bill as a member of the Committee and engaging directly with executives of online platforms and social media bodies, I am pleased to have played a direct role in ensuring cross-party support and ultimately Minister support for this vital amendment.
I want to pay tribute to Zach, his family and The Epilepsy Society for their tireless campaigning with Dean and I to make Zach’s Law a reality.
You can find out more about Zach’s story here: https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/news/zach-goes-to-parliament
A very proud moment. You can read my speech in the House of Commons here.
