Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the new internet protocol DNS over HTTPS on the effectiveness of UK law enforcement and regulation online; and if she will make a statement.

We are aware of ongoing developments relating to the DNS and HTTPS protocol and are working with industry and other key stakeholders to understand potential unintended consequences arising from its implementation. DCMS officials are working closely with the ICO to ensure that data privacy and security is maintained for UK citizens.

We are working closely with a wide range of relevant stakeholders to ensure that new technologies do not compromise user privacy, safety and security. We welcome the efforts made by major browser companies to understand our concerns with certain aspects of DNS over HTTPS and the recent clarifications from some firms about their plans for rollout in the United Kingdom.