Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that streaming content is age appropriate for viewers.

The Media Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 November, will give Ofcom new powers to draft and enforce a Video-on-demand Code, aimed at mainstream TV-like on-demand services. This will be similar to the Broadcasting Code, which sets out appropriate standards for content on linear television. The Code will include new rules for on-demand content including rules on harmful and offensive material, and specific protections for under-eighteens.

Ofcom will also be given an enhanced ongoing duty to assess video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures, such as pin codes, content warnings, and age ratings, to ensure that the systems put in place to protect younger audiences are effective and fit for purpose.