The Online Safety Act was introduced in 2023 and was fully implemented last year, with duties to protect children from online harms coming into effect in July 2025.

However, the committee said that concerns have been raised that the law does not do enough to protect against online harm, and also said that the regulator, Ofcom, has faced criticism for not going far enough in holding online services and technology companies to account.

The inquiry will consider Ofcom’s enforcement of the law, and whether the Online Safety Act had any issues that meant it was not working as well as it should.

The committee is asking for written evidence by Monday 7^th September.

Baroness Keeley, chair of the committee, said: “When the Online Safety Act was passed it was seen as a watershed moment for regulation of the internet. It was hoped that it would make the online world a safer place for children and adults. 

“It is now clear that the act is not working as well as it should. We want to understand why.

“Online services operating in the UK must be safe and effectively regulated. Our inquiry will look at how we can achieve that and what changes are needed in both the law and its implementation.”