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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Monday, 13 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Monday, 20 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Social Media: Animal Welfare

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of social media trends that encourage acts of animal cruelty.

Answer

The Government recognises concerns about online content and trends that encourage or promote acts of animal cruelty.

The Government and Ofcom have identified animal cruelty as one of the priority kinds of illegal harm under the Online Safety Act regulatory regime. Ofcom’s risk profiles and Register of Risks address how such content and trends can spread on regulated services, including through coordinated challenges or user-generated material.

Regulated platforms are required to carry out suitable and sufficient illegal content risk assessments that cover animal cruelty, and to put in place mitigations to reduce the risk of users encountering or being encouraged to commit such offences. Ofcom is actively monitoring compliance in this area.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
18506
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Animal welfare Social media
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk