Online Safety Act 2023

152 Advisory committee on disinformation and misinformation

(1) OFCOM must, in accordance with the following provisions of this section, exercise their powers under paragraph 14 of the Schedule to the Office of Communications Act 2002 (committees of OFCOM) to establish and maintain a committee to provide the advice specified in this section.

(2) The committee is to consist of—

(a) a chairman appointed by OFCOM, and

(b) such number of other members appointed by OFCOM as OFCOM consider appropriate.

(3) In appointing persons to be members of the committee, OFCOM must have regard to the desirability of ensuring that the members of the committee include—

(a) persons representing the interests of United Kingdom users of regulated services,

(b) persons representing providers of regulated services, and

(c) persons with expertise in the prevention and handling of disinformation and misinformation online.

(4) The function of the committee is to provide advice to OFCOM (including other committees established by OFCOM) about—

(a) how providers of regulated services should deal with disinformation and misinformation on such services,

(b) OFCOM’s exercise of the power conferred by section 77 to require information about a matter listed in Part 1 or 2 of Schedule 8, so far as relating to disinformation and misinformation, and

(c) OFCOM’s exercise of their functions under section 11 of the Communications Act (duties to promote media literacy) in relation to countering disinformation and misinformation on regulated services.

(5) The committee must publish a report within the period of 18 months after being established, and after that must publish periodic reports.