Social Media: Suicide
(asked on 11th September 2024) - View Source
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will have discussions with Ofcom on the use of its powers under Schedule 11 of the Online Safety Act 2023 in the context of online forums that share instructional content on methods of suicide.
Answered by
Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology is carefully considering Ofcom’s categorisation research and advice and will make Regulations as soon as reasonably practicable.
Ministers have regular meetings with Ofcom on a range of online safety related subjects. The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 10 September requesting an update on the regulator’s approach to monitoring small but risky online services, including how Ofcom will use the full force of enforcement. Ofcom’s CEO responded on 11 September. Both letters are available online:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-we-do/public-correspondence/