Require online platforms to remove misinformation targeting bereaved families

Introduce Jay’s Law: specific legislation obliging platforms to remove organised misinformation that targets grieving families after tragic deaths; require platforms to act on speculative, malicious content likely to cause serious harm; and work with Ofcom on enforcement and sanctions.

Families who have suffered tragic deaths are being subjected to organised misinformation and malicious speculation online. This targets grieving families at their most vulnerable, causing severe additional trauma, distress, and emotional pain. Jay’s Law would place clear legal duties on platforms, backed by Ofcom enforcement and sanctions, to ensure all speculative, organised, and malicious content is swiftly removed, protecting grieving families’ privacy, dignity, and safety.

Legally platforms must tackle disinformation that’s illegal or abusive to children. Duties coming into effect mean large services must also remove content against their terms of service; including where they ban organised misinformation that targets grieving families after tragic deaths.

The government would like to thank those who have signed the petition on this important issue. The strength of feeling reflected in the petition underlines the seriousness of the harm caused when misinformation and abuse are directed at bereaved families.

The government recognises the devastating impact abuse and misinformation can have on an individual, especially during the loss of a loved one. This is why the government will continue to engage with platforms on this issue, discussing their actions to combat illegal content.

The Online Safety Act

The Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA) introduces duties on platforms to tackle illegal content and protect users from harm. And, in March 2025, Ofcom’s illegal harms codes of practice came into effect, requiring platforms to implement robust measures to reduce the likelihood of users engaging in illegal activity, including harassment and abuse. Under the OSA, for content which does not cross the criminal threshold, large platforms that host user-generated content, and search services, have duties for the safety of their users. Taken together, these measures are designed to empower users against malicious content whilst holding platforms to a greater level of accountability:

Firstly, platforms will have to have accessible terms of service which set out what kinds of legal content they allow on their platforms and in what circumstances they might suspend or ban a user. The services must have systems and processes in place to enforce those terms of service consistently, including where these terms of service relate to mis- and disinformation falling below the illegal threshold.

Secondly, they will need to offer all adult users of the service the option to verify their identity. This will allow users of a platform to filter out non-verified users, helping to reduce abuse and harassment originating from anonymous profiles.

Lastly, the user empowerment duties within the OSA will allow adult users of large user-to-user services, known as Category 1 services, to choose whether or not to engage with particular categories of content. This includes content which encourages, promotes or provides instructions for suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, and content that is abusive, or incites hate. Together, these measures require platforms to take active steps to reduce harmful behaviour on their services, including where it does not meet the criminal threshold.

The OSA also introduced false and threatening communications offences, strengthening the criminal law response where content is knowingly false or intended to cause harm. Companies will therefore need to mitigate the risk arising from the use of anonymous profiles to facilitate illegal activity, on their services.

We are looking at where we can go further. In March, MHCLG published Protecting What Matters, which sets out government’s response to growing pressures on social cohesion. This includes a range of actions such as giving adults greater control over their algorithms, reducing risks that harmful content is monetised, and considering how trustworthy sources can be made more available and prominent during crisis period to address online content that can destabilise our communities, such as online hate, and mis/disinformation.

Ofcom and enforcement Under the OSA, platforms are required to have systems and processes in place to enable and respond to content reporting and provide for users to make complaints to the service. These will be enforceable duties. In addition, individuals can also submit complaints to Ofcom where they think a provider is failing to comply with their duties. Complaints regarding illegal online content can be made directly to Ofcom. While Ofcom cannot respond to or investigate individual complaints, this action helps them assess whether regulated services are doing enough to protect their users – and if Ofcom should take any action. These complaints are an essential part of Ofcom’s horizon-scanning, research, supervision and enforcement activity. Ofcom use the powers parliament has made available to it. These include the power to issue fines of up to 10% of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue. In the most serious of cases Ofcom can also apply for a court order to impose business disruption measures - stopping UK users accessing the site.

Separately, Ofcom must produce a report assessing the measures taken or in use by providers of user-to-user and search services to enable users and others to report content and make complaints to providers of such services.

Ofcom’s approach and timeline for implementation is here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/roadmap-to-regulation/.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/742843)