Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have published a joint statement about collaboration on the regulation of online services where online safety and data protection intersect. The statement sets out how the two regulators will work together on areas of mutual interest to achieve a coherent approach to regulation. It builds on a joint statement published in November 2022 that envisioned working together more closely to achieve greater alignment. You can read a Welsh translation here.

The online world is changing, and with it the regulatory landscape. Ofcom and the ICO will work together to provide a clear and coherent regulatory landscape for online services that is proportionate, transparent and outcome-focused, and to regulate in a way that helps online service providers comply with their legal obligations and create safe and trusted online spaces. To do this, they will maximise coherence between the data protection and online safety regimes and work together to promote compliance with them, by maximising coherence and promoting compliance. This joint statement sets out how they will work together in more detail.