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Written question asked by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 9 February 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 February 2026. It was answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Labour) on Monday, 23 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Social Media: Electrical Goods

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations and rules are in place to prevent social media influencers from promoting dangerous electrical products online; and what assessment they have made of whether those regulations and rules are sufficient to prevent that promotion.

Answer

The Online Safety Act gives platforms strong duties to prevent illegal activity on their services where the content amounts to a criminal offence, including advertising or selling illegal goods. Platforms must assess the risks of illegal content appearing on their services and put in place systems and processes to address it.

Alongside this, the Government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 provides powers to tackle the sale of unsafe goods and ensure that supply chain actors have appropriate responsibilities in relation to products. We will consult on new requirements to promote consumer safety and fair business competition in early 2026.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL14425
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Electrical goods Publicity Regulation Social media
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk