Online Safety

Debate between Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Lord Vallance of Balham

Thursday 16th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for online safety posed by small, high-risk online platforms, such as 8Chan.

[The Minister of State, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Lord Vallance of Balham) (Lab)]

The Government are extremely concerned about the impact of small but risky services that host hateful and harmful content. The Online Safety Act will require such services to remove illegal content and, where relevant, protect children from legal but harmful material. Ofcom has established a Small but Risky supervision task force in recognition of their unique risks. The regulator will identify, manage and enforce against such services where they fail to comply with their duties.

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend the Minister for his Answer, but will he set out whether the Government expect Ofcom to take enforcement action against small but high-harm sites that are identified as problems? Have they made an assessment of the likely timescales for enforcement action, including the use of service disruption measures?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that important question. Where there is evidence of non-compliance, Ofcom has set out that it will move quickly to enforcement, and that action will follow in spring this year, because companies will have had three months to get their positions sorted out—I think that 16 March is the date by which they have to do it. Ofcom will be able to apply fines, including global levies, and it will be able to apply to the courts for business disruption measures and have the flexibility to submit these applications urgently.