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Written Question
Social Media: Australia
Wednesday 9th July 2025

Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his polices on the wellbeing of children of the level of effectiveness of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 in Australia.

Answered by Feryal Clark

We have a close relationship with the Australian government, formalised through the Online Safety and Security MoU. This engagement forms part of our ongoing work to develop the evidence-base and monitor technological developments and international interventions to protect children online.

Under the UK’s Online Safety Act, online platforms are required to put in place strong protections against illegal content and harmful material for children. The government is committed to taking the action needed to ensure that children are protected while enjoying the benefits of being online.


Written Question
Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
Tuesday 15th October 2024

Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he will present the Digital Information and Smart Data Bill to Parliament.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We will present a new Data Bill soon.


Written Question
Children: Social Media
Monday 14th October 2024

Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to give parents the right to access a deceased child's social media accounts without a court order.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to protecting children online and supporting families who have endured unimaginable losses.

The Online Safety Act contains measures that seek to address challenges faced by bereaved parents when engaging with online services following the death of a child, including provisions to ensure that online services are transparent to bereaved parents about data disclosure, and have a dedicated helpline for bereaved parents relating to requests for information relevant to the death of a child.