Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what measures are in place to ensure compliance by social media platforms with safety duties under the Online Safety Act 2023, particularly in relation to the protection of younger users.

The Online Safety Act (the Act) requires services, including social media, to protect children from illegal, harmful and age-inappropriate content.

Both the Act’s illegal duties and child safety duties are now in force, with Ofcom having substantial enforcement powers including the ability to issue fines of up to £18 million or 10% of platforms’ qualifying worldwide revenue. Since the duties came into force, Ofcom has opened several enforcement investigations against platforms suspected of failing to meet their obligations. Recent actions include investigations into major pornography providers, file-sharing services for measures to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material, and online forums linked to harassment and suicide promotion.