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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill (Session 2021–22, HL Paper 129), what plans they have to adopt recommendations relating to (1) the statutory regulation of, and (2) minimum standards for, age assurance technologies.

We are considering fully and carefully the recommendations from the Joint Committee and are grateful to its members for their work scrutinising this important Bill. The Bill will not mandate that companies use specific technologies for protecting children online, as it is vital that the Bill is future-proofed. However, Ofcom will set out in its codes of practice the steps companies need to take to comply with their child safety duties. We expect this to include, where appropriate, age assurance technologies. Ofcom will also be able to include in its regulatory codes specific standards relating to age assurance. Companies would need to follow these steps, including putting in place these technologies and following these standards, or demonstrate that the approach they are taking delivers the same level of protection for children. If they do not, they risk facing enforcement action from Ofcom.

In the meantime, DCMS is already working closely with Ofcom to ensure that the implementation period that will be necessary following passage of the legislation is as short as possible. We expect companies to take steps now to improve safety, and not wait for the legislation to come into force before acting.