Ofcom Watch

Ofcom has fined GB News Limited for breaching the special impartiality requirements in the programme People's Forum: The Prime Minist er broadcast on 12 February 2024. Ofcom writes:

The programme featured the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, in a question-and-answer session with a studio audience about the Government's policies and performance. Our Breach Decision published on 20 May 2024 found this programme failed to maintain due impartiality on a matter of major political controversy and a major matter of current public policy, and due impartiality was not preserved through clearly linked and timely programmes, in breach of Rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code .

Given the seriousness and repeated nature of the breach of these rules, Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of 2£100,000 on GB News Limited and also directed the Licensee to broadcast a statement of our findings in this case, on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.

GB News is challenging the Breach Decision by judicial review, which we are defending. Ofcom will not enforce this sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded.

Ofcom writes:

Parliament set us a deadline of April 2025 to finalise our codes and guidance on illegal harms and children's safety. We will finalise our illegal harms codes and guidance ahead of this deadline. Our expected timing for key milestones over the next year -- which could change -- include:

• December 2024: Ofcom will publish first edition illegal harms codes and guidance. Platforms will have three months to complete illegal harms risk assessment.

• January 2025: Ofcom will finalise children's access assessment guidance and guidance for pornography providers on age assurance. Platforms will have three months to assess whether their service is likely to be accessed by children.

• February 2025: Ofcom will consult on best practice guidance on protecting women and girls online, earlier than previously planned. March 2025: Platforms must complete their illegal harms risk assessments, and implement appropriate safety measures.

• April 2025: Platforms must complete children's access assessments. Ofcom to finalise children's safety codes and guidance. Companies will have three months to complete children's risk assessment.

• Spring 2025: Ofcom will consult on additional measures for second edition codes and guidance.

• July 2025: Platforms must complete children's risk assessments, and make sure they implement appropriate safety measures.

We will review selected risk assessments to ensure they are suitable and sufficient, in line with our guidance, and seek improvements where we believe firms have not adequately mitigated the risks they face. Ready to take enforcement action.

Ofcom has the power to take enforcement action against platforms that fail to comply with their new duties, including imposing significant fines where appropriate. In the most serious cases, Ofcom will be able to seek a court order to block access to a service in the UK, or limit its access to payment providers or advertisers.

We are prepared to take strong action if tech firms fail to put in place the measures that will be most impactful in protecting users, especially children, from serious harms such as those relating to child sexual abuse, pornography and fraud.