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Social Media: Safety

Asked by Lee AndersonReform UKDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 21 March 2025UIN 38132

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the accountability of social media companies on online safety.

Answered by Feryal Clark

The Online Safety Act puts new duties on social media companies and search services, making them responsible for their users’ safety on their platforms.

The duties are now coming into effect, with platforms now being required by law to implement measures to reduce the risk of illegal content and activity on their services, with additional protections for children coming this Summer.

Ofcom has a range of strong enforcement powers to use if services fail to comply with the Act, including the ability to issue fines, and implement business disruption measures.

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