Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Accepted
Review Ofcom's resources and powers to effectively enforce the Online Safety Act.
Recommendation
In response to the increasing problem of online hate, the Government should review whether Ofcom has the resources and powers it needs to enforce the Online Safety Act effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 110)
Government Response Summary
The government states Ofcom's spending cap allows it to deliver its duties under the OSA, and that Ofcom has recruited an expert online safety team and has robust enforcement powers including the power to issue financial penalties.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
77. On the Committee’s point regarding Ofcom’s wider capacity to enforce the OSA, Ofcom’s spending cap allows it to deliver on its duties under the OSA, having received a significant uplift to its spending cap in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. This uplift reflects Ofcom’s increased duties as implementation of the Act progresses. 78. Ofcom has recruited an expert online safety team from various sectors including regulation, tech platforms, law enforcement, civil society and academia. As of 2025/26, Ofcom has 556 full-time equivalent staff working on online safety across its teams. Its staffing model allows resources to be deployed dynamically across teams to meet evolving demands. 79. Ofcom has robust enforcement powers under the Act, including the power to issue financial penalties for non-compliance. As of February 2026, Ofcom has launched investigations into 94 sites since compliance became enforceable, including issuing 8 fines to 5 providers. In the most serious cases, Ofcom can impose business disruption measures. These are court orders that require third parties to withdraw services or block access to non-compliant regulated services.