KATIE Price is to give evidence to a parliamentary committee about online bullying.
The celebrity and her mother Amy Price will speak to the Petitions Committee on July 2 about their personal experiences of online abuse and the impacts on raising Ms Price's son Harvey.
It comes after The Only Way is Essex star, Bobby Norris, spoke to MPs about his experiences with homophobic abuse.
The reality TV personality spoke out after his petition on tackling online abuse generated more than 133,000 signatures.
Catherine McKinnell MP, Chair of the Petitions Committee, said: “Online abuse is a silent menace, and our new inquiry is an eleventh hour bid to put an end to it before it spirals out of control. With social distancing rules, people are spending ever more of their lives online.
“The importance of doing something about this issue before it causes more damage is greater than ever. If we don’t take action soon, then there is a real risk that a whole new generation will be irretrievably exposed to and harmed by online abuse.
“I’m pleased to welcome Katie back to the Committee after first meeting her during her campaign against online abuse last year. Her bravery in sharing her personal experiences of the abuse she has endured alongside her son Harvey will shine a light on key issues, and will help this new landmark investigation find practical and technological solutions to the problem.
“The Government has failed to make sufficient progress on preventing online abuse, and our inquiry represents a watershed moment where we can either take action to deal with this crisis or leave it free to cause its harm in so many aspects of modern life. We are calling for evidence from expert witnesses in this area and the general public, and our Committee will conduct its investigation over the coming weeks and months as we hold the Government to account on this issue.”
The evidence hearing will take place virtually as the UK nears the end of its 14th week in lockdown. Many figures have raised concerns over the effect of Coronavirus and social distancing on mental health, with Ofcom research showing that Britons are spending a quarter of a day online since lockdown.
The committee is also calling for evidence submissions via the Petitions Committee website, and has asked for campaigners, legal professionals, social media firms and those who have experience of online abuse to get in touch.
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