Lib Dems slam Govt as “asleep at the wheel” on tech as Labour rejects common-sense reforms to Data Bill

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

The Lib Dems have hit out at the Government’s ‘sell-out’ approach to tech policy as Labour MPs vote against “common-sense reforms” in the Data Bill this evening.

Labour MPs rejected plans proposed by the Lib Dems to restrict companies’ access to the personal data of under-16s and to protect British creatives from having their work scraped by AI models in the Commons this evening.

The online safety legislation would have protected children between 13 and 16 from having their data harvested by social media giants. Tech companies can use the data of under-16s to drive hyper-targeted advertising and content pushed by addictive algorithms, driving children’s engagement with digital content.

On copyright, the legislation proposed by Lib Dem tech spokesperson Victoria Collins would have prevented AI companies’ scraping of British artists’ work without a license, under existing copyright law. This would have protected UK creatives from having their work mined by large language models like ChatGPT without remuneration. AI programmes that collect data from British creators – music, TV, written material and the like – would have had to get a license to access those artists’ works, in line with existing copyright laws for all other non-AI users.

The Government voted against both measures – sparking accusations from the Lib Dems that they’re “asleep at the wheel” when it comes to tech.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology, Victoria Collins MP, said:

“Whether it’s our young people or our hardworking creatives – it seems this Labour government is ready to sell out the British people to please tech giants.

“They’re asleep at the wheel while the rest of the country is facing a sea change in how our online world operates. It seems they won’t even take up common-sense reforms to keep our young people safe and our brilliant creatives in business.

“Lib Dems will continue to campaign to make sure tech works for all of us – including our young people and world-leading creative artists and writers.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Text of amendments available here. 

Relevant amendments are New Clause 1 and New Clause 2.

Conservative Party MPs abstained on both votes.

Results of votes:

NC1 (Digital Age of Consent)

Aye: 76
No: 295

NC2 (AI/Copyright)

Aye: 88
No: 287