PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Newspaper Press: Internet (20 May 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to include provisions on regulation of the comments sections of online newspaper websites in the Online Safety Bill announced in the Queen's Speech..

Asked by:
Sarah Owen (Labour)

The comment sections of online newspaper websites will not be in scope of the Online Safety Bill. The Bill was published in draft on 12 May. The draft Bill exempts from its scope comments and reviews on articles, products and services published directly by a company on its own website. This includes ‘below the line’ comments on news publishers’ sites.

Please note that anyone concerned by material published on a news website’s comment section can complain directly to the publisher or to the relevant independent self regulator. The majority of traditional publishers - including 95% of national newspapers by circulation - are members of The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). A number of smaller publishers have joined The Independent Monitor for the Press (IMPRESS).

Answered by:
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Conservative)
25 May 2021