The government believes that the quickest way to fill the shortfall in data is through Ofcom. Ofcom’s role as the UK’s independent online safety regulator means it is best placed to exercise judgement about whether research into the operation of providers’ content recommender systems should be undertaken. This research can then inform decisions about whether relevant providers should implement particular safety measures, to reduce the risk that content recommender systems lead to users being served content that the government has specified as being illegal content, or harmful to children. To note, Ofcom has already set out in its OSA codes of practice that online platforms should take or use certain measures to reduce the risk that their recommender systems lead to users encountering illegal content via their service, and to also reduce the risk that children encounter content that is harmful to them. Furthermore, it is consulting on additional measures on these matters for the codes. Supplementary to its powers for getting platforms to implement safety measures in relation to content recommender systems, Ofcom’s information-gathering powers under the OSA mean that it is uniquely well-positioned to investigate providers’ internal workings and systems and processes, including their content recommender systems. The OSA confers powers on Ofcom to enable it to access the information it needs in order to exercise any of its online safety functions or carry out research into online safety matters. Under these powers, Ofcom can require information from relevant third parties, as well as providers themselves. It can remotely view information about the operation of systems and processes, including tests of algorithmic systems. It can interview employees, require a company to assist a skilled person in preparing a report (and pay for the report to be produced), and carry out audits on services to assess compliance and risks. All of these information-gathering powers can apply to information about providers’ algorithms. Beyond this, a framework will be designed to support independent research into online safety matters. Currently, access to online harms data is only directly available to independent researchers at the discretion of tech companies and researchers have cited technical and procedural barriers which prevent high-quality research. Provisions in the Data (Use and Access) Act empowers the Secretary of State to create a framework for independent researchers to access online safety data, giving researchers a legislative footing to conduct their online safety research. Improved access to online safety data will enable more comprehensive research into online safety risks, as well as the effectiveness of providers’ processes to mitigate risks to users as part of meeting their OSA duties. This will inform future online safety interventions, such as updates to Ofcom’s codes of practice, and contribute to a safer online experience for UK users.