Today's #Ofcom research on the extent and impact of #onlinefraud and #onlinescams confirms the obvious: every day the #OnlineSafetyBill is further delayed means more people are at risk of losing money, to the detriment not just of their finances but also their wellbeing.

- 46% had been personally drawn in by an online scam
-25 % of those who'd encountered online scams had lost money
- 34% of all victims said it had an immediate negative impact on their mental health

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/scale-and-impact-of-online-fraud-revealed?

Excellent short @Ofcom
explainer on how they intend to approach risk assessments in the #OnlineSafetyBill - appropriately caveated, given the Bill is still likely to be amended (NB the gaping hole where there was once an assessment required for the adult safety duties, otherwise known as "legal but harmful".)

But this is a commendable piece of regulatory pitch-rolling, with clear steers on principles and practicalities before can get going on their formal consultation. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/how-we-are-approaching-online-safety-risk-assessments

Great to see @LornaWoods quoted in today's Guardian piece on how a #VAWG code of practice - as developed by Prof Woods along with Carnegie UK and many other charities and campaigning organidations - will work if the #OnlineSafetyBill amendment tabled by Baroness Morgan is successful.

There's a notable momentum behind this now on all sides of the House, with the amendment co-signed by Baroness Kidron (cross-bencher), the Bishop of Gloucester and Labour's Lord Knight.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/10/uk-peers-call-for-code-of-practice-on-protecting-women-on-social-media

Great to see the Daily Telegraph splash today on the growing momentum behind an amendment to the #OnlineSafetyBill to introduce a #code of practice to address #onlineabuse & violence against women and girls: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/02/03/online-misogyny-set-outlawed/

It's being backed in the House of Lords by Baroness Morgan and Baroness Bertin; numerous other Peers spoke in support of it in Wednesday's Second Reading debate.

Here's the draft #VAWG code, developed by #CarnegieUK @LornaWoods and others: https://d1ssu070pg2v9i.cloudfront.net/pex/pex_carnegie2021/2022/05/24163713/VAWG-Code-of-Practice-16.05.22-Final-1.pdf

Little wonder that DCMS's public attitudes to digital regulation tracker was published last week with very little fanfare.

Doesn't look very convenient or comfortable for the Government when adults' concerns about #onlinesafety and #onlineharms shoot up - from 38% to 45% in just 6 months - but you've since removed the very duties from the #OnlineSafetyBill that would have provided greater protections for them.

Full tracker here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-attitudes-to-digital-regulation-tracker-survey/public-attitudes-to-digital-regulation-tracker-survey