Social Media: Substances Unfit for Human Consumption
Debate between Baroness Lloyd of Effra and Lord Winston(1 month, 2 weeks ago)
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Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
The Online Safety Act has duties in respect of children. Platforms that provide services to children must ensure that harmful content is not provided. Ofcom’s children’s harms guidance makes it clear that sponsored or influencer-promoted content can be in scope where it actively encourages children to consume harmful substances. Ofcom has considerable powers to monitor compliance with the Act and Parliament has given it the ability to fine and take enforcement action, which I think everyone in this Chamber supports.
Lord Winston (Lab)
My Lords, I wish to raise a personal issue. For about three months now, I have been plagued by complaints from members of the public who have seen videos and digital images apparently of me promoting certain medicines on Instagram and Facebook. These medicines generally refer to erectile dysfunction and other issues with the prostate. I wonder what we can do about this kind of advertising, because people have been paying money for these completely dangerous remedies.
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
My noble friend raises an important and serious point. Fraud is illegal and a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, and platforms are required to act where services are used for scams or misleading advertisements. It is in Ofcom’s hands to ensure compliance with the Act and the duties under it, and we have made it very clear to Ofcom that we support it taking that kind of enforcement action.