Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the role of media literacy in supporting (a) public health, (b) national security and (c) democracy.

Media literacy enables citizens to critically assess information and make informed choices. It supports public health, national security and democracy by countering misinformation, improving society’s resilience to online threats, and empowering safe, confident participation online.

Media literacy is a cross-government priority, delivered through coordinated action across departments, civil society and industry, supported by targeted funding and community-led initiatives.

The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to tackle illegal content relating to national security, health and democracy. It also updates Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy, which includes raising awareness of misinformation and helping users assess the reliability of content.