I have today designated the Government’s statement of strategic priorities for online safety for the purposes of section 172 of the Online Safety Act 2023.
This statement sets out the Government’s strategic priorities and desired outcomes across a number of online safety areas comprising safety by design, transparency and accountability, agile regulation, inclusivity and resilience, and technology and innovation.
These strategic priorities have been designed to support the ambitious implementation and delivery of the Act to ensure its protections are implemented as effectively as possible, delivering the best safety outcomes for all users.
The draft statement was laid before Parliament on 8 May 2025 and the statutory period required under section 173 of the Act has now ended.
As the online safety regulator, Ofcom must now have regard to the priorities set out within the statement when exercising its online safety functions. Within 40 days of the designation of the statement, Ofcom must publish a statement setting out what it proposes to do in consequence of the statement. Ofcom must then publish subsequent annual reviews of what action it has taken as a consequence of the statement.
We are committed to working with Ofcom to implement the Act. However, the Government are also clear that nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping children and the public safe. We are already building on the Act and will continue to identify areas to do so. Together, working with partners across civil society and industry, we will drive forward progress in pursuit of these priorities to build a better online world for all.
[HCWS769]