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Social Media: Disclosure of Information

Question for Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

UIN 129131, tabled on 24 February 2022

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to introduce full transparency requirements for social media networks.

Answered on

4 March 2022

Companies providing high-reach, high-risk online services, such as the major social media sites, will be required to publish annual transparency reports containing information about the steps they are taking to tackle online harms on their platforms. This will include steps companies are taking to comply with their online safety duties, the systems and processes in place for users to report illegal content and the application of companies’ terms of service.

The Online Safety Bill sets out high level categories of information that Ofcom may require companies to include in their transparency reports. Ofcom will set out what information is required from companies in a notice, which will also specify the format, manner and deadline for the information to be provided to Ofcom. Ofcom will publish an annual transparency report which will include information about the contents of the reports companies have produced.

Ofcom will have a range of additional powers to assess whether companies are fulfilling their duties, such as the power to require information from companies, require interviews, require companies to undergo a skilled person’s report, and in certain circumstances, the power to access premises, data and equipment.