Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what work her Department has undertaken towards implementing the requirements of paragraph 11 Schedule 8 of the Online Safety Act 2023, relating to transparency reporting on the user identity verification duty in section 64 of that Act.

Ofcom recently conducted a consultation on additional duties for categorised services, including the duties relating to user empowerment and user identity verification. Ofcom plans to publish final statements on additional duties in 2027. The first transparency reports are also expected in 2027, following the transparency notices which Ofcom must issue. Ofcom as independent regulator is responsible for the measures it sets out in its guidance and Codes.

The additional duties do not depend on changes to the Statement of Strategic Priorities for Online Safety.