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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of Key Principle 1 of their Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper, published on 11 October, that standards of behaviour online should match those offline, and the proposal that there should be a common framework for media standards, what steps they are taking to ensure that equivalent definitions of prohibited material are applied across different media platforms.

We are currently consulting on the social media code of practice provided for by the Digital Economy Act (2017). The Act requires the code to address conduct that is bullying or insulting to users, or other behaviour that is likely to intimidate or humiliate. Through this code we hope to tackle some of the most pernicious, but legal, online behaviours, including trolling and abuse, that is often disproportionately targeted towards women.

Such abusive and threatening behaviour online is totally unacceptable. A number of criminal offences may be committed by those abusing others on social media and an action which is illegal offline is also illegal online.

Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act (2017) requires the Secretary of State to produce a report on the effectiveness of age verification measures 12 months after the powers come into force. This review will provide the opportunity to consider impact, identify gaps and consult on definitions used in this Part of the Act, including the definition of extreme pornography.