Written question asked by Chi Onwurah (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 April 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 23 April 2019 (named day). It was answered by Margot James (Conservative) on Tuesday, 23 April 2019 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Internet: Safety

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Online Harms White Paper published on 8 April, whether the proposed duty of care applies to (a) internet of things manufacturers, (b) internet of things service providers and (c) electricity companies' smart meters.

Answer

The Online Harms White Paper consultation proposes that the duty of care applies to companies that provide services or tools that allow, enable or facilitate users to share or discover user-generated content, or interact with each other online. It, therefore, would not typically apply to consumer smart devices. Harms suffered by individuals that result directly from a breach of data protection, breach of cyber-security or hacking are also excluded from scope.

However, the Government has taken a number of actions to increase the security of consumer smart devices. In October 2018, DCMS published the Code of Practice for Consumer Internet of Things (IoT) Security to support manufacturers in building strong security into smart products by design. We recognise that further action is needed, and we will soon be publishing a consultation on our regulatory proposals regarding consumer IoT security.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 242826
Session: 2017-19
Related items: Internet: Safety
Monday, 29 April 2019
Written questions
House of Commons; Internet: Safety
Monday, 2 September 2019
Written questions
House of Commons
Grouped for answer: Yes
Subjects: Electricity Internet Manufacturing industries Meters Safety
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Internet: Safety

Secondary information

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