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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Monday, 23 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Thursday, 2 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.


Internet: Fraud

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that online platforms deploy all available technologies to prevent fraud at scale.

Answer

AI has huge potential benefits, but can also bring new risks, including new opportunities for criminals. The OSA lists fraud as a priority offence and regulates AI-generated media in the same way as ‘real’ content, placing the same obligations on services to protect users.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) lists certain fraud offences as ‘priority offences’, meaning regulated services must prevent users encountering fraudulent content, swiftly remove it if it appears, and mitigate and manage the risk of their services facilitating fraud. This would include, where appropriate, the use of emerging technologies to stifle criminal abuse of networks. To support compliance, Ofcom issues Codes of Practice advising services on how to be compliant with their regulatory obligations. We expect these Codes to evolve over time to include new technologies.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
122935
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Fraud Internet Technology
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk