UK tech minister criticises Ofcom over online safety delays amid antisemitism concerns
EXCLUSIVE: Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, writes to Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes
The UK’s technology minister has voiced “deep concern” over delays to Ofcom’s roll-out of online safety regulation, warning that slow progress could hinder efforts to protect users from antisemitic content.
In a letter published on Wednesday, Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, wrote to Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes to outline her concerns about the pace of implementation.
“I remain deeply concerned that delays in implementing duties, such as user empowerment, could hinder our work to protect women and girls from harmful content and protect users from antisemitism,” Kendall wrote.
“Ofcom will continue to have the government’s full backing to use all its powers to ensure that services are putting users’ safety first, and I continue to urge you to look at where you can expedite your processes, and the user empowerment duties specifically.”
Kendall also reiterated her alarm about the spread of antisemitic content online.
While Ofcom has begun enforcing parts of the legislation, including rules on hosting illegal content and protecting children from harmful material, the tech secretary is concerned that other obligations, such as user empowerment, have been delayed.
An Ofcom spokesperson told Jewish News: “The timeline for categorisation has been affected by factors beyond our control, in particular a legal challenge against Government that raised complex issues.
“In the meantime, change is happening – sites and apps now have legal duties to protect people, especially children, and we have already opened investigations into over 70 services.”
The Online Safety Act imposes further duties on service providers, which are categorised based on factors such as the number of users.
Category 1 services—those with the largest reach—face the strictest requirements, including user verification, increased transparency, and user empowerment features.
“The Prime Minister has been clear that dealing with this is a priority for this government,” Kendall added. “I welcome the specific steps you have outlined, including driving compliance with existing codes of practice, adding new measures to tackle hateful content, and holding targeted discussions with platforms during periods of crisis or extreme tension.
“I note that further detail will be available in December when you publish your Online Safety Annual Report. I look forward to engaging with this report and continuing to work with you to tackle all forms of hateful content online.”
Kendall emphasised the importance of effective enforcement, writing: “Ofcom should do everything possible under the Act to tackle antisemitic content and hate speech online. We need to see progress in tackling this egregious, divisive, and hateful content.”
Her letter follows Ofcom’s publication of an updated online safety implementation roadmap, which sets out milestones for the remainder of this year and for 2026.
“While I understand the need to ensure the regime is robust, I would like to express my deep disappointment in the delays to the overall implementation of additional duties on categorised services that have been set out in Ofcom’s roadmap,” Kendall wrote.
“As I made clear when we met and in my subsequent letter of 27 October, we should not be willing to accept delay: the Online Safety Act was a long time coming and people across the country have been waiting too long for the protections it brings.”
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