I am today laying before Parliament the Government’s draft statement of strategic priorities for online safety. This statement is a critical document that outlines the Government’s areas of focus for online safety, and that the independent regulator, Ofcom, must have regard to as it continues its work to implement the Online Safety Act 2023.
The first duty of any Government is to keep their people safe. My Department’s role in that essential duty involves tackling the growing epidemic of online harm that is threatening the health and happiness of people across Britain.
Since we came into government, I have made it my priority to implement the Online Safety Act as quickly and effectively as possible. In March, the illegal codes of practice came into force, obliging firms to take steps to remove illegal content from the services they provide. Ofcom has already begun enforcement investigations.
By summer, the children’s codes will be fully in force. Service providers will have to protect children from harmful content, including pornography and the promotion of suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.
The pace of change in the online world means that we cannot afford to slow down. As we confront extraordinary new opportunities and grave new risks, our approach must be anchored in a set of principles about what a good online world looks like.
That is what the statement of strategic priorities sets out to do. It outlines the Government’s strategic priorities and desired outcomes across a number of online safety areas, including safety by design, transparency and accountability, agile regulation, inclusivity and resilience, and technology and innovation.
The statement follows a statutory consultation that ran between 20 November 2024 and 10 January 2025. A range of stakeholders with interest and expertise across the policy areas covered by the Act, including child safety and tackling violence against women and girls, were consulted. I would like to thank all respondents for taking the time and effort to respond.
These strategic priorities have been designed to support the ambitious implementation and delivery of the Act, to ensure that its protections are implemented as effectively as possible, delivering the best safety outcomes for all users. First and foremost, that means putting the safety of children at the foundation of our online world.
Ofcom, as the independent regulator, must have regard to the priorities set out in the statement when exercising its online safety functions. We are committed to working with Ofcom to implement the Act. Together, working with partners across civil society and industry, we will drive forward progress against these priorities to build a better online world for all.
I intend to designate the statement for the purposes of section 172 of the Online Safety Act after the end of the statutory “40-day period”, as defined in section 173 of the Act, unless either House of Parliament resolves not to approve it within that period.
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