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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle the paid advertising to UK users on social media platforms of (a) weapons and (b) other illicit items.

In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising on social media platforms. This includes protections against misleading, harmful and illicit advertising, including illegal items such as weapons. Additionally, there is already legislation in place that prohibits the sale and advertising of certain weapons, such as flick-knives and firearms. Advertising for weapons not prohibited for sale should follow the ASA’s rules around legality, offence, fear, distress, and safety, and media owners should carefully consider all weapon adverts before deciding whether to display it.

The Government is also examining the regulatory model for online advertising to ensure it protects consumers and minimises harm through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Online Advertising Programme (OAP). The consultation on the OAP closed last year and considered how to tackle harms arising from paid-for online advertising, including illegal items such as weapons. We will be publishing a Government response in due course.