Age Appropriate Design Code

Lord Clement-Jones Excerpts

Monday 30th September 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, I think that I can safely stand here and say that that is true. Of course, the code works in conjunction with the GDPR, whose guidelines are already out there. This code is to gold-plate that part of the GDPR. It is true that there has been pushback from online companies. The Information Commissioner is working closely with them for them to understand how important it is. It is up to those companies to realise that this issue is vital and that they have to get their world in order.

[Lord Clement-Jones (LD)]

My Lords, the standards in the code will apply to all users unless there are robust age-verification mechanisms to distinguish adults from children. The BBFC has recently conducted research showing huge support among parents for the age-verification guidance under the Digital Economy Act. Can the Minister confirm that the guidance will be tabled at the earliest possible opportunity—that is, this week?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

Am I right in thinking that the noble Lord is talking about the age verification—

[Lord Clement-Jones]

Yes.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

As he knows, that has been with the EU. The standard three-month TSRD, where they look at the whole thing, is due to expire on 2 October, which is the day after tomorrow. We have not heard anything from them, so it seems unlikely that they will suddenly come up with a whole lot of comments between now and then, but obviously I cannot guarantee that.