Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UK-US Trade Agreement: Digital Services Regulation

Wednesday 14 May 2025 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mr Tom Morrison raised concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health and the need for better regulation under the Online Safety Act 2023.
  • Chi Onwurah welcomed the US-UK trade deal and inquired about measures to strengthen the online safety regime to protect children from misinformation.
  • Victoria Collins questioned whether children's safety was compromised during UK-US trade negotiations and emphasized the need to maintain strong protections.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tom Morrison Lib Dem Cheadle
Culture, Media & Sport Mental Health
Context

Mr Morrison raises concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health, noting that nearly 40% of children report negative impacts. He points out gaps in the regulation of smaller websites under the Online Safety Act.

Question

Many constituents have contacted me with concerns around social media and public health. Nearly 40% of children report that social media has a negative impact on their mental health, and with glaring holes in the Online Safety Act 2023, dangerous smaller websites remain unregulated. Can the Secretary of State confirm that protections for children will not be up for negotiation in any deal with the United States?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Peter Kyle)

I am grateful for the question. I share the hon. Gentleman’s concern for young people's welfare online and have taken steps to strengthen provisions including issuing a statement of strategic priorities to Ofcom, tackling intimate image abuse, and supporting age verification measures set to begin in July. Online harms are never up for negotiation under this Government.

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Q2 Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Culture, Media & Sport Business & Trade
Context

The Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee welcomes the US-UK trade deal but highlights evidence from her committee that social media algorithms drive misinformation. She calls for further strengthening of online safety measures to protect against future risks.

Question

I really welcome the US-UK trade deal and the fact that the Secretary of State kept his commitment not to put online safety on the table in those negotiations. My Committee’s inquiry into social media misinformation and algorithms has heard evidence that these drive the spread of misinformation, with consequences seen in summer riots. Will he confirm that as well as not watering down existing regulations under the Online Safety Act, efforts will be made to strengthen it?

Answer from Peter Kyle

I reassure my hon. Friend that we are looking closely at how to strengthen the online safety regime to protect children in the future, including research into the relationship between social media products and their impact on young people, with actions planned based on findings.

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Q3 Victoria Collins Lib Dem Harpenden and Berkhamsted
Foreign Affairs Culture, Media & Sport Business & Trade
Context

Concerns are raised about potential weakening of the Online Safety Act during UK-US trade negotiations, given meetings with tech giants. The questioner seeks assurances that such protections will remain intact.

Question

Given growing concerns around the Online Safety Act possibly being weakened during UK-US trade negotiations and reports that the Secretary of State is meeting repeatedly with tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Meta, it is vital that children’s safety remains a red line. Can he confirm that not only are online harms not up for negotiation but also that the Online Safety Act will remain unaltered in these discussions?

Answer from Peter Kyle

We have delivered a deal with the US without weakening any legislation for children's safety. The previous Government took a decade to achieve this; we delivered it, strengthening young people’s rights instead of weakening them.

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