Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2025 to Question UIN 745 , whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department met with (i) Alphabet and (ii) its subsidiaries before the exclusion of YouTube from the online safety and age assurance pilot programmes was announced.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives of tech platforms; however no discussions were had with platforms - including Alphabet or its subsidiaries – on this topic prior to the announcement of the design of the pilots and the services in scope.

The Government notes the outcome of KGM Vs. Meta et al. The exclusion of a platform from a pilot does not prevent their inclusion in future policy interventions.