The chamber was packed. Politicians peered over each other's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the crown, sitting neatly on its cushion. Then, the future King of England, standing in for the QueenThe Queen missed the event due to mobility issues. , read out the government's agenda for the year ahead.

The crowd watched in silent anticipation as Prince Charles announced new plans for schools and post-Brexit trade. But in between bills about transport and planning, few noticed the government reaffirm its commitment to one of the most radical proposals in the history of free speech.

According to the UK government, the Online Safety Bill will make Britain the safest place in the world to use the internet. The competition for the top spot is fierce. In recent years, Australia has introduced jail sentences for tech executives who fail to protect social media users from violent material. And German companies face finesThe German law applies to companies with more than two million registered users in the country.  for leaving illegal content online for more than 24 hours. 

Now, under new proposals in Britain, social media companies operating in the UK will be responsibleOfcom, the UK communications regulator, will be able to issue fines of up to £18m or 10% of a company's global turnover. They will also have the power to block access to sites in the UK.  for identifying and removing illegal and "legal but harmful" behaviour on their sites.  

The bill tells social media sites what can and cannot be shown to British internet users, from posts about grooming to hate speech, disinformation and eating disorders. 

Supporters of the bill say it protects vulnerable people, especially childrenAny websites that host porngoraphy must verify that users are over 18. , from harm. The law gained traction after the death of Molly Russell, a British teenager who took her own life in 2017 after viewing posts about suicide and self-harm.

There is no doubt about the scale of the problem: one survey found that 47% of teenagers and children had seen content they would rather avoid online during the Covid-19 lockdown. 

But others insist the new proposals amount to a restriction on free speech. Critics say protections for democratic and journalistic content, including an exemption for "all recognised news publishers", do not go far enough.

"The 'legal but harmful' grey area the government has constructed remains huge and will see tech giants compelled to embark on a censorship-spree", says Sir Trevor Phillips, chairman of free speech group Index on Censorship. Ministers have not yet published a definition of the term, or what it will include. 

And if the law goes ahead, the group's lawyer Gavin Millar predicts new conflicts on free speech between ministers and tech giants. This week, entrepreneur Elon Musk announced that if his bid to buy Twitter is successful, he will reverse Donald Trump's ban from the platform. 

The bill affects social media sites and users in the UK, but the internet is undoubtedly a global place. "Provisions within the draft could turn the UK into an inspiration for other new repressivePreventing personal freedom.  internet regulations around the world," warns Michael Caster of Article 19Article 19 is a global freedom of expression organisation..

The stakes are high. If the bill passes into law, it could fundamentally change how people use the internet not only in the UK - but perhaps one day around the entire world. 

Yes: The Online Safety Bill gives politicians the power to decide what British people can and cannot say online. It may be designed to protect children, but the bill puts free speech under threat. 

No: The proposed new law focuses on content such as revenge porn, hate speech and even fraud. The right to criticise those in power, share the news and discuss controversial topics is not in doubt.

Or... Many social media sites already have strict rules about the content on their sites. The new law simply forces companies to stick to commitments many have already made to protect users.