Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Caroline Ansell has welcomed a further milestone to outlaw flashing online images that trigger seizures in people with epilepsy following a campaign she has supported.
An amendment to the Online Safety Bill called Zach’s Law outlawing the practice has been published by the government this week.
The campaign has been supported by Caroline after she heard how Zach Eagling, who suffers from epilepsy, was sent flashing images on social media by vile trolls.
Zach, who also has cerebral palsy, was sent the images while he took part in a charity walk around his garden in 2020 aged only nine.
To celebrate the latest milestone, Zach and his mom Claire Keer came to parliament on Wednesday to meet up with MPs, like Caroline, who have supported Zach’s Law.
“It was my pleasure to be invited to meet Zach in Parliament who paid a half term visit this week with his lovely mum Claire. What a wonderful young man,” said Caroline.
“As a member of the Online Safety Bill Committee and the Parliamentary Group for Epilepsy, I have argued that legislation needed to be changed to protect epilepsy sufferers from this style of potentially fatal abuse.
“I told Zach that I tell his story to other children I meet. I told him he was incredibly brave and strong and that I admired him. That thanks to his campaign, the online world would be a better, safer place and that it had been my privilege to speak about him and the cause he had inspired in Parliament.”
