Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce children's exposure to harmful online content, and what further measures they plan to take following the Online Safety Act 2023 to prevent children under 18 from accessing pornographic material online.

The Online Safety Act requires all in-scope services to tackle illegal content and criminal behaviour online to protect adults and children, including extreme pornography.

Services in scope of the OSA likely to be accessed by children which allow pornography are required to implement highly effective age assurance to prevent children encountering this online.

Additionally, these services must use highly effective age assurance to prevent children encountering self-harm, suicide and eating disorder content online. They must also provide age-appropriate protections against other harmful content.

We will not hesitate to go further to protect children online where evidence shows this is necessary.