In a statement on Wednesday, 20 November, Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, announced the UK government's strategic priorities for communications regulator, Ofcom, as it prepares to enforce the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA), which comes into force next year. The government also launched a new study to measure the effects and harms of social media use on children.
The strategic priorities to deliver a safer online world, outlined in an accompanying draft statement, include:
- Implementing safety by design to stop more harm from occurring at the outset
- Increasing the transparency and accountability of online platforms
- Maintaining flexibility to allow regulations to adapt to technology and behaviour as they evolve
- Raising user awareness of online safety to increase inclusivity
- Support the continued innovation in safety technologies
The government is clear that while the five priorities are intended to reduce content capable of sowing division and inciting real-world violence, users' rights to privacy and freedom of expression must also be protected.
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