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Internet: Fraud

Asked by Claire YoungLiberal DemocratDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 24 April 2026UIN 127983

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what regulatory steps her Department has taken to prevent technology companies from profiting from online scam advertisements.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan

Fraud and other financial crimes are ‘priority offences’ under the Online Safety Act, meaning regulated services must prevent users encountering user-generated fraudulent content, swiftly remove it if it appears, and mitigate and manage the risk of their services facilitating fraud.

Ofcom has robust powers to act if it finds services are failing in their regulatory duties, including issuing fines of £18 million or 10% global turnover, whichever is higher.

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