Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

The Online Safety Act already meets the Inquiry’s recommendations on age-verification and online safety measures. The child safety duties require regulated services to implement highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing the most harmful content, including pornography, and implement age-appropriate measures to protect children from other legal but harmful material such as bullying or violent content.

The illegal content safety duties go beyond age-verification. Child sexual exploitation and abuse material is a priority offence, and under the duties, services must take proactive steps to prevent it appearing and remove it swiftly if it does.

The Government and Ofcom keep the financial health of the telecoms market under close review. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.

Alongside this, the Government and Ofcom keep regulation of the telecoms market under review to ensure that it promotes resilience and market stability while encouraging investment and innovation. My department regularly engages with Ofcom on these issues.

Tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms, including online, is a top priority for this government.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must proactively tackle illegal content, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls, including harassment, stalking and intimate image abuse. Services are also required to protect children from illegal and harmful content, including abusive and hateful misogyny and pornography.

On 25 November 2025, Ofcom published industry guidance on making platforms safer for women and girls. We expect companies to introduce these recommended measures without delay.

The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online. There are no excuses not to act, and services must deal with this.

Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety and is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties.

Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have our full backing to take necessary enforcement action.

Government meets Ofcom regularly to discuss online safety, and we continue to monitor outcomes through our joint evaluation programme.

Sexually manipulated images of women and children are despicable and abhorrent. The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate images of themselves online. There are no excuses not to act, and services must deal with this urgently.

Sharing, or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is a criminal offence. The government has made it a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, meaning services need to take proactive steps to tackle this content. Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to use where providers are not complying with their duties.

This week we havesigned the commencement order to urgently bring powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent into force.

Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened a formal investigation into X and have the government’s full backing to take necessary enforcement action.

The Government has been clear that non-consensual intimate images are reprehensible and no service should allow their creation and distribution.

The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to prevent such content appearing on in-scope services and to remove it swiftly when it does. Where they fail to do this, Ofcom has robust enforcement powers - including fining 10% of global revenue

Furthermore, the offence of creating intimate images without consent was signed into force last week. The Secretary of State announced it will be made a priority offence under the Online Safety Act – delivering the strongest protections in the Act for users from such content.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) often relies on cables in the air that can fail during a storm. In 2024/25 there were over 2,600 major incidents on the PSTN, each affecting 500 or more customers. Further, in a power outage the PSTN would not work for most customers as it requires a corded handset, now only in 2% of UK households. Fibre cables are more resilient and less prone to damage during severe weather events.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration from the PSTN to Voice over Internet Protocol are mitigated for everyone.

In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable and landline dependent customers to ensure access to emergency services for at least one hour in a power outage. Many communication providers have gone further, providing battery back-ups with 4-7 hours of battery life.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) often relies on cables in the air that can fail during a storm. In 2024/25 there were over 2,600 major incidents on the PSTN, each affecting 500 or more customers. Further, in a power outage the PSTN would not work for most customers as it requires a corded handset, now only in 2% of UK households. Fibre cables are more resilient and less prone to damage during severe weather events.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration from the PSTN to Voice over Internet Protocol are mitigated for everyone.

In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable and landline dependent customers to ensure access to emergency services for at least one hour in a power outage. Many communication providers have gone further, providing battery back-ups with 4-7 hours of battery life.

Residents in rural areas, as well as other areas of the country, rightly expect to have reliable mobile connectivity to participate in the modern digital economy. The Government recognises that events like storms and power outages can have a particular impact on rural communities.

Mobile network operators have legal obligations to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure the resilience of their networks and services. This is overseen by the independent regulator Ofcom, who have powers to monitor compliance, conduct investigations, issue penalties and enforce remedial actions.

Ofcom have completed a public consultation on power back-up for mobile services across the UK, which identified a particular impact on rural communities. They published an update on their work in February 2025 and announced they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures required to ensure adequate resilience for consumers.

The Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to deliver measures so that when power cuts occur the likelihood of disruption to telecommunications services is as low as possible, and where disruption does occur it should affect as few people for the shortest possible time.

Residents in rural areas, as well as other areas of the country, rightly expect to have reliable mobile connectivity to participate in the modern digital economy. The Government recognises that events like storms and power outages can have a particular impact on rural communities.

Mobile network operators have legal obligations to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure the resilience of their networks and services. This is overseen by the independent regulator Ofcom, who have powers to monitor compliance, conduct investigations, issue penalties and enforce remedial actions.

Ofcom have completed a public consultation on power back-up for mobile services across the UK, which identified a particular impact on rural communities. They published an update on their work in February 2025 and announced they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures required to ensure adequate resilience for consumers.

The Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to deliver measures so that when power cuts occur the likelihood of disruption to telecommunications services is as low as possible, and where disruption does occur it should affect as few people for the shortest possible time.

Residents in rural areas, as well as other areas of the country, rightly expect to have reliable mobile connectivity to participate in the modern digital economy. The Government recognises that events like storms and power outages can have a particular impact on rural communities.

Mobile network operators have legal obligations to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure the resilience of their networks and services. This is overseen by the independent regulator Ofcom, who have powers to monitor compliance, conduct investigations, issue penalties and enforce remedial actions.

Ofcom have completed a public consultation on power back-up for mobile services across the UK, which identified a particular impact on rural communities. They published an update on their work in February 2025 and announced they are completing further analysis to determine the appropriate and proportionate measures required to ensure adequate resilience for consumers.

The Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to deliver measures so that when power cuts occur the likelihood of disruption to telecommunications services is as low as possible, and where disruption does occur it should affect as few people for the shortest possible time.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22^nd of December 2025 to question UIN 99476.

This Government will do everything in our power to keep women and children safe online.

Under the Online Safety Act, services are required to protect children from both illegal and harmful content, including violent, abusive or hateful misogynistic content. Services are also required to adjust algorithms for children, so that they do not encourage harmful content, leading to safer feeds.

We expect companies to introduce, without delay, the recommended measures in Ofcom’s industry guidance on making platforms safer for women and girls including deprioritising harmful content in recommender algorithms and de‑monetising content which promotes misogynistic abuse and sexual violence.

The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online.

Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety and has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have made relevant contact with representatives at X. They have our full backing to take any necessary enforcement action.

This is not about restricting freedom of speech but upholding the law.

The Government recognises the importance of semiconductor technologies for UK growth and security, as outlined in the Industrial Strategy Digital & Technologies Sector Plan. The Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for investigating anti-competitive practices. Any concerns regarding anti-competitive conduct can be raised directly with the CMA.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of memory chip shortages on consumer technology prices, but the Government continues to regularly engage with businesses to understand supply chain challenges. The Government is also working closely with international partners to develop shared approaches and solutions that improve global semiconductor supply chain resilience.

The semiconductor industry has complex global supply chains. As part of the Industrial Strategy’s Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, the Government is taking measures to foster growth of the UK semiconductor sector where it is strong, enhance national security and strengthen supply chain resilience. Given the global nature of semiconductor supply chains, the UK is also building resilience through collaborating with a wide range of international partners, both bilaterally and through fora such as the OECD Semiconductor Informal Exchange Network and the G7 Semiconductor Point of Contact Group.

Through the National Planning Policy Framework, mobile network operators are encouraged to improve connectively by using existing masts buildings and other structures where it is possible. Network operators have also committed to sharing infrastructure, wherever it is viable, via the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development.

The Government has no plans to introduce a rural roaming scheme. Mandated roaming schemes could reduce the incentive for operators to invest in their networks.

However, roaming agreements are in place that allow calls to emergency services to automatically roam onto another available network if someone has no signal from their own provider.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities, and Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators (MNOs) to ensure there is continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks right across the UK.

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, which is jointly funded by the Government and the UK’s main MNOs, achieved its objective of 4G geographic coverage being available across 95% of the UK landmass by end-2025 more than a year early.

In rural areas, where there is either limited or no mobile coverage, we continue to work with the industry to deliver new coverage to these communities as well as monitor developments in the Direct to Device satellite market.

The Government is putting artificial intelligence at the heart of our mission to grow the UK economy. We are backing British researchers and firms and catalysing regional AI clusters so communities across the country, including in the West of England, can benefit.

We are opening a £250m procurement for the next phase of the AI Research Resource, our publicly owned supercomputers which can be used – for free – by UK researchers and business. One of the supercomputers, Isambard-AI, is based in Bristol and is one of the world’s top 10 public supercomputers and the 4th greenest.

The Government will act as a “first customer” for promising UK AI hardware through an advance market commitment of up to £100 million, giving UK companies the opportunity to grow and compete. We are also backing British scale‑ups via a new Sovereign AI Unit, supported by around £500 million, and driving local productivity through targeted skills and business adoption programmes that help SMEs adopt AI and equip workers with essential AI skills.

Together, these measures will place communities such as in the West of England in a strong position to seize the opportunities presented by AI.

Government’s ambition is for populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.

We continue to work with the mobile network operators (MNOs) to ensure that their investment benefits communities right across the UK. As part of the terms of their merger, VodafoneThree has committed to investing £11 billion to upgrade their joint networks, and BT/EE and Virgin Media O2 have similarly significant investment plans in place.

We are addressing barriers to mobile infrastructure deployment where they exist, including by launching a call for evidence on 18 December 2025 to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of digital infrastructure. We also continue to work closely with Ofcom to ensure there is sufficient spectrum available to deliver high quality wireless connectivity across the UK.

Alongside this, the Shared Rural Network, which is jointly funded by the Government and the UK’s main MNOs, continues to deliver 4G coverage in areas where there is little or no coverage currently.

The Government’s new strategy sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances, achieved by creating a research and innovation system that drives the development and validation of alternative methods to using animals in science. The strategy sets out commitments to prioritise the development of non-animal testing methods, including creating a preclinical translational models hub and publishing areas of research interest for alternative methods.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product, and is currently finalising its Telecoms Access Review.

DSIT officials regularly engage with Ofcom on these issues. In July, we published our draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom that sets out the government’s view on the importance of competition to promote investment in broadband deployment across the UK, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.

The Government is committed to supporting the development and uptake of alternatives to the use of animals in science and has published the Replacing Animals in Science strategy which lays out the steps we are taking to achieve that end. The strategy states that the Government will continue to support the use of animals in science where it is necessary and appropriate. The Government assesses that Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 will have no direct impact on the phasing out of the use of animals in scientific research and testing.

The advertising and marketing spend will be as follows, ‘24-25 £3m (Core & Agencies), 23-24 restated figures £6m (Core & Agencies) & 22-23 restated figures £1m (Core & Agencies).’ All figures can be found in the annual reports.

Core and Agencies* - The core department, Building Digital UK, and UK Space Agency.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) regulatory regime gives platforms clear duties to prevent and remove child sexual abuse material and non-consensual deepfakes. Providers must fully assess risks and design services to be safe. For example, Ofcom has announced an investigation into X to assess if it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK.

The Government keeps all legislative frameworks under review and has also announced that it will bring into effect a new offence covering the creation of non-consensual intimate images.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) regulatory regime gives platforms clear duties to prevent and remove child sexual abuse material and non-consensual deepfakes. Providers must fully assess risks and design services to be safe. For example, Ofcom has announced an investigation into X to assess if it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK.

The Government keeps all legislative frameworks under review and has also announced that it will bring into effect a new offence covering the creation of non-consensual intimate images.

DSIT has regular discussions with social media companies about a number of online safety matters, including tackling harmful content.

The Online Safety Act gives social media platforms duties to protect their users from harmful content. Under the regulatory regime, platforms must swiftly remove illegal content, including illegal content which depicts serious violence or injury.

Services likely to be accessed by children must put in place age-appropriate protections from violent content, and ensure they have accessible reporting mechanisms in place for parents and children.

Service providers must assess risks and design services to be safe. Ofcom has powers to investigate compliance and can take enforcement action where necessary.

In the UK, AI systems are regulated at the point of use under existing frameworks such as data protection law, competition law, equality law, and other forms of sectoral and cross-sectoral regulation.

Generative AI services that allow users to share content with one another, search live website to provide search results, or publish pornographic content are regulated under the Online Safety Act. These services must protect users from illegal content and children from harmful and age-inappropriate content. The Technology Secretary has confirmed that the government is considering how the Online Safety Act applies to AI chatbots and whether more is needed to protect users.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ofcom about online safety matters. For example, in October, the Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom requesting an update on its implementation of the Online Safety Act, including work to ensure platforms tackle antisemitic and hateful content and abuse.

Ofcom’s reply outlined the main themes of its work in tackling antisemitism and other forms of hate speech and abuse. This includes driving compliance through the Online Safety Act’s regulatory framework, building on its codes of practice, working with civil society to build its evidence base and targeted working with platforms during crises.

In November 2025, the government published a set of independent research reports quantifying the impact of cyber attacks on the UK economy. These reports demonstrate the scale of the potential cost of cyber attacks to UK businesses, with KPMG’s report Economic Modelling of Sector Specific Costings of Cyber Attacks estimating the average cost of a significant cyber attack for an individual business in the UK to be almost £195,000. Scaled to an annual UK cost to businesses, this amounts to an estimated £14.7 billion.

The Government has developed tools for businesses to protect themselves, including:

• The highly effective Cyber Essentials Scheme, shown to reduce the likelihood of a cyber insurance claim by 92%,
• The Cyber Governance Code of Practice, to help boards and directors manage cyber risks, and
• A wide range of free NCSC tools and support, including training for boards and staff, the Early Warning system and the Cyber Action Toolkit for small businesses.

The Government is also taking further action to protect the economy. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will boost our cyber defences and better protect our essential services. This year, we will publish a new National Cyber Action Plan setting out how Government will respond to the cyber threat and work with industry to raise resilience across the economy.

The government does not speculate on legislation ahead of future parliamentary sessions.

A range of existing rules already apply to Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sectoral regulation.

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities.

This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute which has deepened our understanding of the critical security risks posed by frontier.

However, the government will not hesitate to act where evidence suggests that further action is necessary.

On 3 December 2025, the DSIT Secretary of State confirmed in Parliament that the government is exploring how emerging services, such as AI chatbots, interact with the Online Safety Act and what further measures may be required. Further to this, we are signing the commencement order to urgently bring powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent into force.

We will also legislate to criminalise nudification apps. This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate images.

The government remains committed to ensuring the UK is prepared for the changes AI will bring.

The government is committed to facilitating the diffusion of AI across the whole of the UK by addressing the barriers to adoption faced by businesses and workers. DSIT is working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it and recently announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers by 2030 with vital AI skills.

Through the Industrial Strategy the government is taking steps to boost access to digital infrastructure such by supporting strategic demand projects to connect to the grid. UK businesses can also access the AI Research Resource which offers free access to high-performance AI compute, with dedicated user support and skills development to help UK-based start‑ups and SMEs experiment, innovate, and scale.

The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.

We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.

In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.

The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.

We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.

In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.

The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.

We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.

In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.

The Government Digital Service does not recommend specific suppliers of BSL assurance, accessibility audits or suppliers of technology development generally.

Service Owners will follow their department's own supplier and commercial strategies. A number of Deaf-led agencies and language service providers are available to engage through Crown Commercial Service's digital purchasing frameworks.

Deaf-led BSL suppliers play a crucial role in ensuring that BSL is used correctly and effectively in various settings.

Multiple suppliers exist in the market providing services to the Deaf community, ensuring that BSL is used effectively in all aspects of communication. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not prescribe a particular supplier, it is for service owners to select one based on their service users' needs.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) provides service teams across the public sector with guidance on accessible design, use of AI and requirements under the WCAG regulations.

GDS does not provide BSL expertise. Service Owners must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service. Services must seek expertise where appropriate from the BSL community and specialist Deaf-led agencies to test their products.

The Government Digital Service does not record enquiries at this level of granularity.

Depending on the service type, it is likely the service team will both consult with the Service Manual and the Technology Code of Practice - covering the standards services need to meet - and go through a service assessment in order to receive a GOV.UK web address.

The assessment will check compliance with the Service Standard, including assessing evidence it complies with accessibility regulation and avoid excluding any groups within the audience they’re intended to serve.

The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online.

Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have our full backing to take necessary enforcement action.

The commencement order for the offence of the creation, or requested creation, of intimate images will be signed this week meaning that individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create – or seek to create – such abhorrent content. This will also be made a priority offence, meaning platforms must take proactive action.

This is not about restricting freedom of speech but upholding the law.

The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online.

Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have our full backing to take necessary enforcement action.

The commencement order for the offence of the creation, or requested creation, of intimate images will be signed this week meaning that individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create – or seek to create – such abhorrent content. This will also be made a priority offence, meaning platforms must take proactive action.

This is not about restricting freedom of speech but upholding the law.

The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online.

Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have our full backing to take necessary enforcement action.

The commencement order for the offence of the creation, or requested creation, of intimate images will be signed this week meaning that individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create – or seek to create – such abhorrent content. This will also be made a priority offence, meaning platforms must take proactive action.

This is not about restricting freedom of speech but upholding the law.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector and is currently finalising its Telecoms Access Review.

DSIT officials regularly engage with Ofcom on these issues. In July, we published our draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom that sets out the government’s view on the importance of competition to promote investment in broadband deployment across the UK, including in rural areas.

In non-commercially viable, often rural, areas, more than £2.4 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed to connect over one million premises with gigabit-capable broadband.