Online Safety Act 2023

154 Research about users’ experiences of regulated services

(1) Section 14 of the Communications Act (consumer research) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (6A) insert—

“(6B) OFCOM must make arrangements for ascertaining—

(a) the state of public opinion from time to time concerning providers of regulated services and their manner of operating their services;

(b) the experiences of United Kingdom users of regulated services in relation to their use of such services;

(c) the experiences of United Kingdom users of regulated user-to-user services and regulated search services in relation to the handling of complaints made by them to providers of such services; and

(d) the interests and experiences of United Kingdom users of regulated services in relation to matters that are incidental to or otherwise connected with their experiences of using such services.

(6C) OFCOM’s report under paragraph 12 of the Schedule to the Office of Communications Act 2002 for each financial year must contain a statement by OFCOM about the research that has been carried out in that year under subsection (6B).”

(3) After subsection (8) insert—

“(8A) In subsection (6B) the following terms have the same meaning as in the Online Safety Act 2023—

• “provider” (see section 226 of that Act);

• “regulated service”, “regulated user-to-user service” and “regulated search service” (see section 4 of that Act);

• “United Kingdom user” (see section 227 of that Act).”