What’s Ofcom?
The Workplace of Communications (Ofcom) is the UK communications regulator, overseeing the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries. Its principal responsibility is to manage communications within the pursuits of customers and residents.
Ofcom is a public company, accountable to parliament, with the tradition secretary being the accountable minister (apart from postal companies, the place the enterprise secretary is accountable). The tradition secretary appoints the chair and non-executive members of its board by the general public appointments course of. Ofcom is funded by charges paid by the industries it regulates and is a internet contributor to the Treasury, because it provides any proceeds from fines and penalties to the federal government (after retaining the quantity wanted to fund sure duties).
How has Ofcom modified over time?
Ofcom has a big remit and has gained substantial further duties and powers over time. The physique was first established by the Workplace of Communications Act 2002 after which given its full vary of early powers within the Communications Act 2003, when it changed 5 completely different TV and radio regulators.
Ofcom gained powers to manage video-on-demand companies in 2010 and the postal industries in 2011. It acquired additional powers in 2017, together with the regulation of the BBC. In 2020, Ofcom’s remit expanded once more to cowl regulation of video-sharing platforms reminiscent of YouTube. Ofcom can be set to achieve extra powers beneath the deliberate On-line Security Invoice, reminiscent of to effective firms that fail to fulfill a brand new responsibility of care to guard customers from dangerous content material on-line (see under).
What does Ofcom now do?
Ofcom’s wide-ranging features and powers span financial regulation (such because the promotion of competitors and the auctioning of radio spectrums) and content material regulation (sustaining of a set of high quality requirements in TV). Ofcom doesn’t usually resolve particular person complaints, with the notable exception of complaints concerning TV or radio content material, however might examine if it receives many complaints highlighting a selected downside. Its principal authorized duties, and the strategies it makes use of to fulfill them, are summarised within the desk under and except in any other case referenced set out in Part 3 of the Communications Act 2003 as amended:
The present Tradition Secretary is Lucy Frazer. She interned on the Israeli Ministry of Justice earlier than getting into politics.
