Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has commissioned research on the (a) scale and (b) impact of misogynistic online content.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to tackling misogynistic online content and has taken action by criminalising additional forms of intimate image abuse, as well as prioritising these under the Online Safety Act, and introducing new measures including a 48‑hour takedown duty.
Ofcom has produced guidance setting out how providers can take action against harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls, in recognition of the unique risks they face. Ofcom surveys found 15% of UK adults reported seeing content that objectified or demeaned women in the four weeks prior to January 2026. This was down from 20% in June 2025. We know there is still much more to do and are committed to acting.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to coordinate with international partners to address the cross-border spread of misogynistic online content.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2026, to Question 112303, on online censorship of women's health, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of censorship by social media companies of information on how bystanders can administer CPR to women.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We recognise the important role of trusted online health content. The Online Safety Act places duties on services to protect their users including from illegal content and content harmful to children. It does not prevent adults or children from accessing legal content about women’s health. Users of the largest categorised services will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal when content is unduly taken down.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the user identity verification provisions in the Online Safety Act on the Government’s target to halve violence against women and girls.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom will be consulting on guidance for user identity verification required under the Online Safety Act, following the publication of the categorisation register. The consultation findings will be published as soon as possible, by mid-2027.
The Act requires providers to offer UK adult users features to filter out non verified users; this will help women and girls filter out anonymous abuse more effectively.
The user identify verification requirements will allow users greater protection of their data identity and improves digital inclusion and accessibility.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the user identity verification provisions in the Online Safety Act on the uptake of digital identity products and services.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom will be consulting on guidance for user identity verification required under the Online Safety Act, following the publication of the categorisation register. The consultation findings will be published as soon as possible, by mid-2027.
The Act requires providers to offer UK adult users features to filter out non verified users; this will help women and girls filter out anonymous abuse more effectively.
The user identify verification requirements will allow users greater protection of their data identity and improves digital inclusion and accessibility.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what work her Department has undertaken on the implementation of the user identity verification provisions in the Online Safety Act.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom will be consulting on guidance for user identity verification required under the Online Safety Act, following the publication of the categorisation register. The consultation findings will be published as soon as possible, by mid-2027.
The Act requires providers to offer UK adult users features to filter out non verified users; this will help women and girls filter out anonymous abuse more effectively.
The user identify verification requirements will allow users greater protection of their data identity and improves digital inclusion and accessibility.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom, on the attribution of ultimate authorship of defamatory comments towards humans by autonomous bots.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
A range of rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation. The UK has well established defamation laws, and our data protection laws also apply to personal data processed in the context of AI. We continue to monitor developments in the common law in this area.
AI services including chatbots that enable users to share content with one another, or that search the live internet in response to user prompts, are regulated under the Online Safety Act and covered by the illegal content and children's safety duties. The largest user-to-user services will also need to enforce their terms of service, such as where they prohibit AI-generated content which is deceptive. Companies that do not comply can expect to face enforcement action from Ofcom.
The Department meets regularly with technology companies and Ofcom to discuss how they can better protect people in the UK from illegal and harmful content online, including from chatbots. We will continue to work closely with industry and Ofcom to address emerging risks and uphold strong online safety protections.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with AI companies on the publication on the internet of defamatory comments towards humans by autonomous bots.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
A range of rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation. The UK has well established defamation laws, and our data protection laws also apply to personal data processed in the context of AI. We continue to monitor developments in the common law in this area.
AI services including chatbots that enable users to share content with one another, or that search the live internet in response to user prompts, are regulated under the Online Safety Act and covered by the illegal content and children's safety duties. The largest user-to-user services will also need to enforce their terms of service, such as where they prohibit AI-generated content which is deceptive. Companies that do not comply can expect to face enforcement action from Ofcom.
The Department meets regularly with technology companies and Ofcom to discuss how they can better protect people in the UK from illegal and harmful content online, including from chatbots. We will continue to work closely with industry and Ofcom to address emerging risks and uphold strong online safety protections.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what measures her Department is taking to help prevent the censorship of online information concerning women's health.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act does not prevent adults or children from accessing legal content about women’s health. Safeguards for freedom of expression have been built in throughout the framework of the Act, which places duties on platforms to protect users’ rights to freedom of expression when introducing safety measures.
The largest services regulated by the Act will have additional duties meaning they cannot arbitrarily remove content, and they will need to be clear what content is acceptable on their services and enforce the rules consistently. Users will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal when content is unduly taken down.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research institutions in the period before UK Research and Innovation budget allocations are determined.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In December, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) set out how it will deliver its record £38.6 billion funding allocation over the next four years. This is part of the largest ever investment in R&D made by any UK government (£86 billion up to 2029/30) and will help drive new scientific breakthroughs, help create new industries and grow businesses faster, and deliver the growth we need for good jobs and better lives.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been in active dialogue with UKRI to ensure that any implications from funding decisions are fully understood and that they reflect both the UK’s strategic research priorities and its global commitments. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its final allocations are informed by meaningful consultation with the research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability.