Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 29
29
Accepted
Effective evaluation for online safety regulation hindered by incomplete metrics and evidence gaps.
Conclusion
The Department and Ofcom also recognise the role evaluation will play in ensuring the regulatory regime’s future success. For example, Ofcom is developing evaluations and key metrics to make sure that its proposals are being acted on and are having the effect that it intended, while the Online Safety Act requires the Department to undertake an evaluation of regulatory effectiveness within two to five years after the Act received Royal Assent. The Department has been working with Ofcom to ensure their evaluation activities complement each other. However, Ofcom has yet to finalise the performance metrics it will use to evaluate the impact of its different interventions, and the Department has important gaps in its evidence base. Evaluation will also be challenging owing to the nature of the regulated harms, the fast-changing landscape, the novelty of the regulatory regime and the lack of international precedents, and the lack of relevant data and metrics.68 62 Q 36 63 Q 17; C&AG’s Report para 1.3 64 Qq 17, 75, 77; C&AG’s Report paras 3.5–3.7 65 Qq 74, 75, 77 66 Qq 23, 75, 77; C&AG’s Report para 3.7 67 Q 67 68 Qq 23, 73, 78; C&AG’s Report paras 3.13–3.15 16 Preparedness for online safety regulation
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations, stating the recommendation is already implemented through the department's existing evaluation framework and Ofcom's ongoing work to design a full suite of metrics and establish an Evaluation Steering Group.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 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. 6.3 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. 6.4 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. 6.5 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. 6.6 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. 6.7 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.