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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of the draft age appropriate code proposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office with his Department's responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 2018.

The Government takes the protection of personal data seriously, particularly when it relates to children and young people.

Under Section 123 of the Data Protection Act 2018, the Information Commissioner is required to produce a statutory code of practice on Age Appropriate Design. The Code is to contain guidance on standards of age-appropriate design of relevant information society services likely to be accessed by children. It is a requirement of the Data Protection Act itself that the Code be compatible with it.

We are keen to ensure that the code delivers the robust protection that children deserve and meets the requirements set out in the Data Protection Act 2018. Compliance with data protection legislation and protecting children against online harms are both key priorities for the department. The ICO is currently producing a final draft of the code which can be laid before Parliament.