Promoting online safety through #ZachsLaw
Epilepsy Society is calling on the government to include safeguarding measures for people with photosensitive epilepsy in its Online Safety Bill.
The Online Safety Bill sets out government plans for a world-leading package of measures to keep UK users safe online. And the charity wants the plans to include legislation and regulations around photosensitive epilepsy.
In recent times, people with epilepsy have been targeted by internet trolls sending malicious flashing images with the deliberate intent to trigger a seizure. We understand the emotional impact and distress this has caused for some people with epilepsy. One of the people targeted was a nine-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and epilepsy called Zach.
Epilepsy Society are campaigning for the government’s Online Safety Bill to criminalise the dissemination of malicious posts aimed at causing seizures and harming people with epilepsy. We are calling this campaign #ZachsLaw.
In the meantime, we are also in contact with the relevant social media platforms to work to reduce the risk to people with epilepsy online, including Twitter, TikTok, GIPHY, Tenor and Facebook.
Read the latest on our campaign and learn about how you can help.
How many people have photosensitive epilepsy
Around 20,000 people in the UK have photosensitive epilepsy where seizures are triggered by flashing lights or contrasting, quick-fire imagery.
Epilepsy Society is receiving an increasing number of complaints from people with photosensitive epilepsy who are vulnerable to seizures from shared online content with fast paced videos, animations and flashing lights.
Alongside this, malicious content is being 'tagged' with keywords around epilepsy to deliberately target those with the condition and induce a seizure.
What Epilepsy Society is asking the government to include
We want the UK government to:
- Instruct the Crown Prosecution Service on how to prosecute offences against the person when someone has deliberately and knowingly disseminated online material capable of causing a seizure;
- Include the knowing dissemination of online material capable of causing a seizure in the definition of an ‘online harm’ in online safety legislation;
- Instruct social media companies to develop and employ technology that would prevent the dissemination of online material capable of causing a seizure.
We are also asking the government to:
- seek information from social media companies, the police and Crown Prosecution Service about the number of complaints of this behaviour that have been made to them; and issue clear guidance that these are to be seriously considered for prosecution going forward;
- consider the establishment of a levy upon social media companies to fund the development of algorithms that will filter this material, including the tailored development of the equivalent of the Harding Pattern and Flashing Image Analyser which is used to test the safety of footage for broadcast and games.
Donate to Zach's 2.6 challenge
Zach has been an absolute hero in what he has done for people with epilepsy. From helping us to persuade the Government to tackle trolls who send seizure-inducing tweets, to raising money for our vital services, we are incredibly proud to have him as part of our team. You can still donate to Zach's 2.6 challenge on his JustGiving page below.
How you can help
Write to your MP
We are asking you to write to your local MP, asking for their support in including people with photosensitive epilepsy in the government’s Online Harms Bill.
Tell the Law Commission what you think
We're encouraging people with epilepsy and those who support people with epilepsy to let the Law Commission know what they think about their proposals for online harms.
'Social media should be more like a National Park and less like the Wild West'
Clare Pelham, Chief Executive at Epilepsy society said: "Traditional television content is well regulated by Ofcom with warnings being given both audibly and visually before any flashing images are shown.
"Regulating online content in a similar way would be extremely challenging, if not impossible. Social media is, by its very nature, informal and user-generated. That is its joy and its danger. But it needs to more like a National Park and less like the Wild West. Some things that cause harm should be banned. And that includes content that could trigger a seizure for someone with photosensitive epilepsy.
"For many people with epilepsy, social media offers a life line, enabling them to connect with others who share an understanding of the issues that accompany a life punctuated by seizures.
"People affected by the condition can offer each other 24-hour peer support, with shared experiences helping to lessen the loneliness of the shared condition. But people must feel safe online especially when they are in their own homes.
"I am sure that the social media giants will find willing volunteers among their socially-conscious staff with the right expertise to ensure their platforms are safe, inclusive places to share content, ideas and friendship, without any fear of harm."
Latest updates
Online Safety Bill: "a step in the right direction"
The Epilepsy Society has welcomed the publication of a new Bill which aims to promote online safety, but we believe more needs to be done to protect people with epilepsy from internet trolling.
Government pledges to tackle online abuse
The Government has promised that Ofcom will have “a suite of enforcement powers” to tackle online abuse against people with epilepsy.
Daily Express backs our #ZachsLaw campaign
We are thrilled to see that the Daily Express is today (19 February 2021) backing our Zach’s Law campaign to bring to justice internet trolls who send flashing images to people with epilepsy in order to trigger seizures.
Epilepsy Society welcomes tough financial penalties on social media companies who fail to protect users
A Government decision to impose tough financial penalties on social media companies that do not safeguard their users, has been welcomed by the Epilepsy Society.
TikTok to introduce feature that filters photosensitive videos
Epilepsy Society welcomes the news that TikTok is introducing a new feature that filters photosensitive videos. This is a significant step in helping to safeguard users with epilepsy.
Hero Zach completes his 2.6 challenge
This was the joyful moment when nine-year-old Zach Eagling crossed the finishing line to complete his #twopointsix challenge, raising a staggering £11,500 for the Epilepsy Society.
Criminal Law Commissioner vows to tackle trolls targeting people with epilepsy
Criminal Law Commissioner, Professor Penney Lewis, has warned that anyone who sends flashing images to people with epilepsy, provoking a seizure, could potentially be guilty of an offence such as assault causing actual bodily harm.
New law reforms could safeguard people from online harms
Epilepsy Society welcomes new proposals from the Law Commission to reform the law and better protect people from online harm. The news follows an ongoing campaign by the charity to make it a criminal offence to target people with epilepsy with malicious posts designed to trigger seizures.
Epilepsy and staying safe on social media
As social media continues to play an increasingly large role in modern life, this can bring with it extra challenges for people with epilepsy, especially for those who have photosensitive epilepsy. Here are some simple steps you can take to make using social media a safer experience.
Epilepsy Society welcomes GIPHY’s prompt action to reduce online risk to people with epilepsy
The GIF library GIPHY have taken prompt action to reduce the risk for people with photosensitive epilepsy online, following Epilepsy Society’s concerns about harmful content in the library.
Epilepsy Society welcomes Twitter’s ban of GIF search terms
Twitter have taken the decision to ban three key search terms, ‘epileptic, photosensitive and photosensitivity’ from its GIF search function, after internet trolls persistently used them to access flashing images with the intent of triggering seizures in people with epilepsy.
PM Boris Johnson commits to helping our campaign to fight internet trolls
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made a firm commitment to raise our concerns about malicious tweets designed to provoke seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, with Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden.
Epilepsy Society sees worst ever bullying attack on Twitter
UK charity sees worst ever cyber bullying attack on Twitter as eight-year-old boy with epilepsy and cerebral palsy is targeted.
Safeguard people with photosensitive epilepsy online, Epilepsy Society tells Government
Epilepsy Society has once again called on the Government to safeguard people with photosensitive epilepsy online, by including them in their Online Harms Bill.
Epilepsy Society calls on Gov to safeguard people with photosensitive epilepsy online
Epilepsy Society is calling on the Government to safeguard people with photosensitive epilepsy online by regulating flashing images that could induce a seizure.