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Internet: Safety

Asked by Kirith EntwistleLabourDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 1 April 2025UIN 41575

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will commission a report into real-world harms associated with smaller online forums that encourage (a) self-harm, (b) suicide and (c) misogyny.

Answered by Feryal Clark

The Online Safety Act requires such services to risk assess for illegal content and have measures in place to tackle it. Ofcom have already launched an enforcement programme which includes asking small but high-risk services for their risk assessments by 31 March. Such services will also, where relevant, need to protect children from harmful content.

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