Which? response to City of London Police Authority Board calls to ‘Make social media firms legally responsible for tackling fraud’

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

“There has been a devastating spike in scams since the start of the pandemic yet, despite the emotional and financial impact on victims, tech giants are failing to step up and adequately protect their users.

“The case for including scam adverts in the Online Safety Bill is overwhelming, with police bodies, businesses, regulators, consumer groups and many MPs all agreeing urgent action is needed. It is vital that the government seizes the opportunity to act now.”

Notes to editors

• Which? wants to see scams included in the scope of the Online Safety Bill. Specifically, it wants to see fraud designated as priority illegal content to ensure that consumers benefit from the highest levels of protection, and to have the exclusion of paid-for advertising removed from the draft Bill, this is because paid-for advertising on online platforms is one of the primary methods used by criminals to target and scam consumers.

Statement