Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support families of (a) missing and (b) deceased individuals that are experiencing online abuse.

The government is committed to supporting families who have endured unimaginable losses. The Online Safety Act will help address challenges faced by bereaved parents when engaging with online services following a child’s death. The Act gives Ofcom the power to require information from regulated services about a deceased child’s online activity following a coroner’s request.

In terms of horrific abusive content, under the Act social media platforms must take responsibility for users’ safety by removing illegal abusive content. These duties on platforms to tackle illegal content are expected to come into effect in Spring 2025.