Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Online Safety Act 2023's compliance duties on (a) small, (b) community-run and (c) not-for-profit online services; and whether she plans to introduce a (i) proportionate exemption and (ii) simplified compliance route for such services.

The Online Safety Act is designed to be proportionate and risk-based. Ofcom is required to take account of a service's size, risk profile and capacity when setting expectations. It would not be appropriate to put in place a blanket exemption, as some of the most serious harms, including child sexual abuse and terrorist content, can occur on small services.

On 2 September, Ofcom published findings of an online safety business survey, which outlines business experience in complying with online safety regulation, and notes ongoing work to support services, including small services. This includes a regulation checker to help providers understand whether the Act will apply to their service, and guidance on what steps they may need to take next.