Member

38A: Page 122, line 38, at end insert the following new Clause— “Power to require internet service providers to restrict access by children to certain internet services (1) The Online Safety Act 2023 is amended as follows. (2) After section 214 insert— “Power to require internet service providers to restrict access by children to certain internet services 214A Power to require internet service providers to restrict access by children to certain internet services (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision requiring providers of specified internet services— (a) to prevent access by children of or under a specified age to specified internet services which they provide, or to specified features or functionalities of such services; (b) to restrict access by children of or under a specified age to specified internet services which they provide, or to specified features or functionalities of such services. (2) The provision that may be made by regulations under this section includes— (a) provision about the steps that must or may be taken by a provider for the purposes of complying with a requirement imposed by the regulations; (b) provision about the monitoring of compliance with a requirement imposed by the regulations; (c) provision about the enforcement of a requirement imposed by the regulations. (3) The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (1)(b) includes provision requiring a provider to limit— (a) the amount of time per day, or over the course of a specified period, for which children may access the service or a specified feature or functionality of the service; (b) the times of day at which children may access the service or a specified feature or functionality of the service. (4) The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (2)(c) includes provision for a requirement to be an enforceable requirement for the purposes of Chapter 6 of Part 7. (5) Regulations under this section may— (a) make provision applying any provision of this Act (with or without modifications); (b) make provision for exceptions to requirements imposed by the regulations; (c) make provision about the time by which, or period within which, a thing must be done; (d) make provision by reference to standards, arrangements, specifications or technical requirements as published from time to time; (e) confer functions on a person, including functions involving the exercise of a discretion, and make provision in connection with the procedure for exercising the functions; (f) make consequential provision. (6) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (5)(f) may amend or repeal primary legislation. (7) OFCOM must, so far as reasonably practicable— (a) carry out such research or provide such advice as the Secretary of State may request for the purposes of making regulations under this section, and (b) do so by such time, or within such period, as the Secretary of State may specify in the request. (8) As soon as reasonably practicable after providing advice under subsection (7), OFCOM must publish the advice. (9) In this section— “primary legislation” means— (a) an Act of Parliament, (b) an Act of the Scottish Parliament, (c) an Act or Measure of Senedd Cymru, or (d) Northern Ireland legislation; “specified” means specified, or of a description specified, in regulations under this section.” (3) In section 225 (parliamentary procedure for regulations), in subsection (1), after paragraph (e) insert— “(ea) regulations under section 214A(1),”.”