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Internet: Antisemitism

Asked by David Pinto-DuschinskyLabourDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 14 October 2024UIN 7391

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent estimate he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the number and proportion of antisemitic attacks associated with small forums spreading online hate.

Answered by Feryal Clark

The Online Safety Act (OSA) establishes Ofcom as the UK online safety regulator. The OSA gives online platforms new duties where there are risks of their services being used to carry out certain priority offences, including posting illegal antisemitic content which stirs up hatred.

Ofcom will set out steps in codes of practice that different platforms can take to fulfil these duties. Ofcom must consult on proposed steps. For these consultations, it publishes evidence about in-scope harms. For example, in November 2023, it published research into these matters for its consultation on its OSA ‘illegal content duties’ proposals.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/protecting-people-from-illegal-content-online

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