PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Internet: Safety (20 May 2020)

The Government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online and, earlier this year, dedicated resources to responding to online harms as a result of Covid-19. This included standing up the DCMS-led Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit. In response to the current situation, we have trebled the size of this coordination team at DCMS. Both the disinformation cell and the online harms Covid-19 team have been resourced through existing headcount.

In addition, the Government has pledged £750 million to ensure charities can continue their vital work during the Covid-19 outbreak. Many of these organisations are providing support for online harms during this period. This includes £7.8 million which has been allocated to the Home Office in emergency support for charities helping vulnerable children who have been impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak. We have been working closely with the Home Office on the online harms element of this work.