The UK Government introduced the Online Safety Bill in March 2022, which aims to make the UK the safest place worldwide for online usage. This new regulatory regime for online safety is still being reviewed in Parliament and comes with several new obligations to safeguard users from online harm. An inquiry has been launched in response to a National Audit Office Report that concluded that Ofcom will be responsible for regulation. The Inquiry will examine the preparedness measures implemented in anticipation of the Online Safety Bill becoming law, noting that the Committee will not scrutinise the Bill’s content and calling for evidence on preparedness for online safety regulation. The Call for evidence closes on the 13 October, and an Oral Evidence hearing will take place on the 26 October with the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, alongside the Chief Executive at Ofcom.
Click here to read the Call for Evidence from the Public Accounts Committee.