Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on a) harassment, b) grooming and c) image misuse linked to publicly accessible profiles of children under age 13.

The government engages closely with Ofcom on the implementation and enforcement of the Online Safety Act, including regular discussions on risks to children.

The Act has strong protections for children. The Act requires in-scope services to protect children from illegal content and criminal activity, including illegal harassment and bullying, grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse and offences relating to sexual images.

Last month, Ofcom announced the fast-tracking of decisions on proactive technology requirements, such as using hash matching to block illegal intimate images.