Source · National Audit Office

Preparedness for online safety regulation

Published: 12 Jul 2023 Recommendations: 7 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 7 Department: Department for Culture, Media & Sport

Our report looks at whether the preparations undertaken by DSIT (and previously DCMS) and Ofcom for the implementation of the new online safety legislation are sufficiently advanced.

Dept: Department for Culture, Media & SportDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyUnknown (355) Topics: Business and industryDigital, data and technologyRegulation nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

7 items

1 accepted 7 implemented 6 awaiting response

Rec	Recommendation	Addressee	Acceptance	Implementation
1	a) Ofcom should manage the public?s expectations about the regime?s impact and Ofcom?s role during implementation to give confidence in the credibility of the new regime with the public, industry and others Ref Page 11, 18 · Implemented 17/02/2026	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Pending	Implemented ✓ NAO
2	b) Ofcom should develop its plans to inform industry about its requirements, particularly ensuring its data requests are coordinated and proportionate, and establishing how it will collect feedback, in particular from smaller, non-categorised companies Ref Page 11, 18	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Pending	Implemented ✓ NAO
3	c) Ofcom should establish how it will manage the financial risks presented by the additional year of set-up and increased staffing need; as it does so, it should report transparently on its set-up costs through its normal reporting mechanisms, including its annual report and accounts Ref Page 12, 18	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Pending	Implemented ✓ NAO
4	d) Ofcom should clarify its overall approach to long-term financial management, including the scope of its financial modelling and its assumptions about the future costs and funding of the regime. Ref Page 12, 18 · Implemented 17/02/2026	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Pending	Implemented ✓ NAO
5	e) Ofcom should identify how it will reach the capability and capacity it needs and keep this relevant and up to date so that it is equipped to keep abreast of technology developments, the development of new online services and platforms, and changes to user behaviour as the regime is implemented and becomes operational. Ref Page 12, 18 · Implemented 17/02/2026	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Pending	Implemented ✓ NAO
6	f) DSIT should work with Ofcom to identify how the data Ofcom plans to collect as part of its evaluation activities will support DSIT?s own evaluation of the effectiveness of the regime and the achievement of its policy objectives. Ref Page 12, 18	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Pending	Implemented ✓ NAO
7	g) Ofcom should ensure that its processes for collecting data from service providers and its generation of automated information about these are providing it with data of sufficient quality to inform its regulatory duties and enable it to adapt its approach if the data show it is not achieving its aims Ref Page 12, 18 · Implemented 17/02/2026	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.

21 Feb 2024 Public Accounts C… Thirteenth Report - Preparedness for online safety regulation — 13 recommendations · parliament.uk