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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his Department's green paper on internet safety strategy, published in October 2017, when his Department plans to publish the codes of practice for social media companies.

As part of its work to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, the Government published the Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper in October 2017 and published its consultation response in May this year.

The consultation response included a draft statutory social media code of practice. This provides guidance to social media providers on appropriate reporting mechanisms and moderation processes to tackle abusive content. By setting out clear standards for industry, we will make sure there is improved support for users online, and that more companies are taking consistent action to tackle abuse.

The Government will continue to consult with tech companies, charities and other stakeholders on the draft statutory social media code of practice ahead of the publication of a joint DCMS and Home Office White Paper.