Is Ofcom delivering on its media literacy responsibilities?
The Communications and Digital Committee takes evidence from senior Ofcom officials as it investigates the regulator’s role in promoting media literacy and holding tech platforms accountable for their performance in this area.
Meeting details
Background
The Committee is considering the key actions required to enhance media literacy skills across the UK population, to enable citizens to engage with the digital world safely and responsibly.
At present, only 45% of UK adults are confident they can judge whether sources of information are truthful and just 30% believe they can identify content that is created by AI. Meanwhile, young children are increasingly present online, with a third of those aged five to seven accessing social media unsupervised, while recent research has highlighted the threats of online conspiracy theories and misogyny in schools.
Ofcom has a range of responsibilities in relation to media literacy, which were updated under the Online Safety Act 2023. It published its three-year media literacy strategy last year.
Possible areas for discussion
Possible areas for discussion with witnesses include:
- How Ofcom’s new duties under the Online Safety Act have altered its approach to media literacy;
- How Ofcom is working with the Government and other stakeholders on media literacy; and
- What action the regulator is taking to hold tech platforms to account in relation to media literacy.