Statement regarding the government’s initial response to Online Harms White Paper consultation

12 Feb 2020 02:40 PM

Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner, said:

“This is an important step forward in addressing people’s growing mistrust of social media and online services.

“We all want and need digital services and appreciate how they enrich our lives. But we’re also recognising the harm they can inflict. The scales are falling from our eyes as we begin to question who has control over what we see and how our personal data is used.

“This is an opportunity for people to regain control and we look forward to continuing our close work with Ofcom and others here in the UK and around the world.

“As this critical debate unfolds, we will continue to use our powers, provided under data protection law, to act decisively where people’s information is misused online. We will continue to hold organisations accountable to the people whose data they use.

“We welcome government’s acknowledgment of our work to protect children online through our Age Appropriate Design Code, which will be a concrete step towards protecting children’s privacy online.”

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