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 impact of the Government’s 2026 Fraud Strategy on levels of fraud facilitated through online platforms before the Online Safety Act duties on fraudulent advertising take full effect.

While the OSA continues to be implemented, fraud is a ‘priority offence’ under the Act, with platforms already required to mitigate against criminals using their services and to remove scam content if it appears. Ofcom has existing robust powers to act where services do not fulfil their regulatory obligations.

In the Summer, Ofcom is to go further, publishing its register of Category 1 and 2A services and consult on additional duties for these platforms to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising.

The Home Office’s Fraud Strategy was published on 9 March and so Government has not yet conducted a review of its impact.