The government is committed to a safer online world and we urge providers to counter the spread of mis- and disinformation on their services. The government recognises that online misinformation has the potential to cause real-world impacts and undermine public trust in the information environment. However, tackling this issue is extremely complicated. We need to be honest that you cannot eliminate all harmful content online and a balance must be found with freedom of expression – a critical fundamental right. We recognise that mis- and disinformation is a broad, and cross-cutting issue, and we therefore think the most appropriate response is to directly address the most prevalent and concerning harms associated with it. The OSA takes a proportionate approach by focusing on the worst kinds of mis- and disinformation – that which is illegal or harmful to children. This means companies are required to tackle illegal disinformation content on their services and protect children from certain harmful mis- and disinformation. The OSA will also hold Category 1 services to account over the enforcement of their terms of service, including terms related to mis- and disinformation. The OSA requires services to undertake risk assessments for illegal content, which includes illegal mis- and disinformation. These risk assessments include assessing the risks posed by algorithms. Services then need to take effective steps to mitigate identified risks. For example, Ofcom’s codes of