Recommendation 14

HM Government · verbatim extract Accepted

The government introduced the Online Safety Bill 11 on 17 March 2022, shortly after announcing that fraud and money laundering offences would be included as priority illegal content. This means that regulated companies will have to take strong action in ensuring their users are protected from this harmful user-generated content. This will extend beyond just swifter removal of materials; firms will now have to proactively implement measures to prevent fraud on their services. This will combat some of the most harmful fraud types, such as romance and investment scams, as well as driving down enabling crimes such as the recruitment and use of money mules. Following detailed evidence provided at the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill and comprehensive feedback from our partners, the government amended the Bill to include a fraudulent advertising duty requiring the largest and most popular social media platforms and search engines to prevent paid-for fraudulent adverts appearing on their services. Ofcom will set out further details on what platforms must do in codes of practice. This may include measures such as checking the identity of those who wish to publish advertisements and ensuring that financial promotions are only made by firms authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).