Internet: Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what criteria is used by Ofcom's online safety small but risky, taskforce to identify which online platforms pose a sufficient risk to warrant (a) engagement, (b) investigation and (c) enforcement action.
Answered by Feryal Clark
The Government has regular meetings with Ofcom on matters relating to online safety, including on how it will enforce against non-compliant providers.
Ofcom established the Small but Risky (SBR) task force to address the unique risks posed by these services. The task force sits in Ofcom’s Online Safety Group. Ofcom has previously stated that there are 202 full-time equivalent posts in that wider Group. Ofcom published details of the taskforce’s work, including its priorities, in a letter to the Secretary of State on 11 September 2024.
Ofcom started enforcing the Online Safety Act in March. Sections 149 and 150 of the Act require publication of enforcement action. As an independent regulator, Ofcom does not report directly to government but publishes bulletins of all enforcement actions. Ofcom has confirmed that some companies are currently under investigation and some small services with harmful content have voluntarily blocked access to their sites for UK users since the Act came into effect.
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