Online Harms Legislation

Ronnie Cowan Excerpts
Thursday 13th February 2020

(4 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Matt Warman Portrait Matt Warman
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My hon. Friend is right to imply that this is partly new for Ofcom. We will not only give it the resources it needs in the immediate future but make sure that it has a genuine plan to keep pace with technology so that we are no longer in the position we are in now, to some extent, of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Ronnie Cowan Portrait Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde) (SNP)
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There is currently a divide between online gaming and online gambling, and this is resulting in children being groomed as the next generation of gamblers via the likes of loot boxes and skins. What are the UK Government doing to protect those children online?

Matt Warman Portrait Matt Warman
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This came up earlier in DCMS oral questions, and we are looking at gambling through the review of the Gambling Act 2005, but the hon. Member is right that, in terms of gambling and gaming, the duty of care that we will introduce through our proposed legislation will range widely and will make sure that children in particular are protected online.