Online Safety Act 2023

164 OFCOM’s reports

(1) OFCOM may from time to time produce and publish reports about online safety matters.

(2) In publishing a report mentioned in subsection (5), OFCOM must have regard to the need to exclude from publication, so far as that is practicable, the matters which are confidential in accordance with subsections (3) and (4).

(3) A matter is confidential under this subsection if—

(a) it relates specifically to the affairs of a particular body, and

(b) publication of that matter would or might, in OFCOM’s opinion, seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that body.

(4) A matter is confidential under this subsection if—

(a) it relates to the private affairs of an individual, and

(b) publication of that matter would or might, in OFCOM’s opinion, seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that individual.

(5) The reports referred to in subsection (2) are—

(a) a report under section 128 (report in connection with notices to deal with terrorism content and CSEA content),

(b) a report under section 157 (report about use of age assurance),

(c) a report under section 158 (report about news publisher content and journalistic content),

(d) a report under section 159 (transparency report),

(e) a report under section 160 (report about reporting and complaints procedures),

(f) a report under section 161 (report about use of app stores by children),

(g) a report under section 162 (report about researchers’ access to information), and

(h) a report produced under this section.

(6) See also section 116(3) (restriction on publishing intelligence service information).