On November 20, 2024, the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) published the Statement of Strategic Priorities for online safety which sets out the UK Government's priorities for online safety which the Office of Communications (Ofcom), must have regard when exercising its regulatory functions.

The DSIT explained that priorities within the draft statement must be connected to Ofcom's online safety functions and as such, the draft statement focuses on priorities captured within the existing regulatory framework.

What are the key priorities?

The draft statement identifies the following five priorities:

• safety by design - embed safety by design to deliver safe online experiences for all users but especially children, tackle violence against women and girls, and work towards ensuring that there are no safe havens for illegal content and activity, including fraud, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and illegal disinformation;
• transparency and accountability - ensure industry transparency and accountability from platforms to deliver online safety outcomes, promoting increased trust and expanding the evidence base to provide safer experiences for users;
• agile regulation - deliver an agile approach to regulation, ensuring the framework is robust in monitoring and tackling emerging harms, such as artificial intelligence (AI) generated content;
• inclusivity and resilience - create an inclusive, informed, and vibrant digital world that is resilient to potential harms, including disinformation; and
• technology and innovation - foster the innovation of online safety technologies to improve the safety of users and drive growth.

You can read the press release here and the draft statement here.