Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
Accelerate work on evaluating online safety regime and collaborating with UK and international regulators.
Conclusion
The long-term success of the regime depends on Ofcom continuing to learn from international engagement and regular evaluation. No other country has introduced online safety regulation of an equivalent scale. Ofcom has engaged with UK and overseas regulators, and it sees the development of these relationships as crucial to the regime’s future success. In 2022, for example, Ofcom helped establish a global network of online safety regulators, which has helped it better understand and respond to the emerging harm of sextortion (sex-based blackmail). The Department and Ofcom also recognise the role evaluation will play in ensuring the regime’s future success. They both have evaluation plans in place (Ofcom reviewing the effectiveness of its measures and the Department assessing the effectiveness of the regime) and are working together to implement these. However, Ofcom has yet to finalise its metrics to measure performance and the Department has key gaps in its evidence base. Evaluation will also be challenging owing to the nature of the regulated harms, the fast-changing technology landscape and the lack of equivalent regimes in other countries. Recommendation 6: Ofcom and the Department should accelerate their work on evaluating the regime and collaborating with other regulators (both UK- and overseas-based), so they can identify emerging risks and better understand how regulation is working, including identifying the most effective solutions. 8 Preparedness for online safety regulation 1 Delivering the full regulatory regime
Government Response Summary
The department and Ofcom will formalise engagement by establishing an Evaluation Steering Group, with the department having a plan and framework for evaluation and Ofcom designing a full suite of metrics. Both are actively engaging internationally, including signing an MoU with Australia and Ofcom planning an extensive work program with regulators in 2024-25, supported by new statutory instruments for information sharing.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The department and Ofcom recognise the value of evaluation and international collaboration, and have comprehensive and timely plans for this, and continually look for opportunities to gain further insight. Identifying specific and realistic objectives and tracking progress against them will be a key focus in the early years of the regime for both Ofcom and the department. Both parties will share information where possible and will formalise engagement by establishing an Evaluation Steering Group. The department has a plan to monitor and evaluate the Act’s implementation through capturing baseline and ongoing evidence. This was informed by extensive planning in 2023 including developing a specific evaluation framework. Ofcom is designing a full suite of metrics to track whether safety outcomes are changing as intended. Ofcom is engaging with regulated services, third-party organisations, users, and academics to collate metrics where available before Codes of Practice come into force, and to enable better measurement as the regime evolves. The department routinely engages with international partners to discuss and promote online safety and recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Australia to deepen cooperation on online safety and security. Ofcom recognises the importance of engaging with other regulators, having jointly established the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum in the UK and the Global Online Safety Regulators Network. Ofcom is planning an extensive work programme with other regulators in 2024-25. To promote increased regulatory collaboration, the department recently delivered a statutory instrument enhancing Ofcom’s ability to share online safety information with specified overseas regulators.