Internet: Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding Ofcom has received year on year since the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023; the current number of staff allocated to leading investigations; and what assessment she has made of whether the current level of funding adequately meets the need and demand of developments in technologies and their harms.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
Ofcom has received approximately £281.3 million in online safety funding since 2020, including a projected £92 million for 2025/26, up from £71 million in 2024/25. This uplift reflects Ofcom’s increased duties as implementation of the Act progresses. In 2025/26, Ofcom has 556 Full-time equivalent staff working on online safety across its teams. Its staffing model allows resources to be deployed dynamically across teams to meet evolving demands.
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