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Written question asked by Andrew Percy (Conservative) on Monday, 13 May 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 May 2024. It was answered by Saqib Bhatti (Conservative) on Tuesday, 21 May 2024 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Social Media: Safety

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make it her policy to regulate small forums that share (a) antisemitic hatred and (b) instructional content on methods of suicide to the fullest extent possible under the powers available to her in the Online Safety Act 2023; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on that matter of Ofcom's advice of 29 February 2024 on the use of powers under that Act.

Answer

The Secretary of State is considering in detail the advice that Ofcom has provided. The Secretary of State will make regulations as soon as reasonably practicable, in line with Schedule 11 of the Act.

More broadly, all user-to-user services in scope of the Online Safety Act – including online forums of any size – will be required to comply with the illegal safety duties and take steps to remove illegal content. The strongest protections in the Act are for children and where these services are likely to be accessed by children, they must also protect children from a wider range of harmful content. Targeted duties on search services, to minimise illegal search results, will also reduce traffic to websites, including online forums, that host illegal material.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
25824
Session
2023-24
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Safety Suicide Antisemitism Social media
Legislation
Online Safety Act 2023
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk