Ofcom, the UK’s broadcast media and online safety regulator, has set out its provisional three-year plan to promote and improve media literacy.

With its new duties to protect and empower internet users under the Online Safety Act–which became law at the end of last year–Ofcom will be “acting as convener and catalyst – bringing together expert organisations and setting the agenda for change.”

This includes the regulator having a deeper understanding of which media literacy measures work, collaborating more with organisations delivering media literacy programmes, expanding its research evidence base, and encouraging online platforms “to go further” with building user media analysis skills.

However, while it insists that media literacy is ultimately a collective effort, Ofcom has also stated that “online platforms in particular must do more,” and it aims to use its influence to prompt platforms to make changes to their products and services based on user expectations. In particular, the regulator will look at prominent issues such as misinformation and harmful content on online platforms.

The provisional plan has been shared just days after the regulator published new findings on how adults across the UK are navigating the digital world. The study found that only around a quarter (27%) felt confident in spotting AI content online, highlighting the challenges of identifying what’s been artificially created and what hasn’t. Among the other findings, the study also discovered that nearly half (45%) had seen an intentionally untrue or misleading story on social media in the last year.

Recommended reading

• Ofcom Commissions Digital Literacy Initiative
• Diversity, Transparency and Data Literacy are Critical for UK AI Strategy
• Video Games Could Improve Literacy and Wellbeing in Children

Ofcom is currently consulting on the new strategy, inviting responses to come in by 24 June 2024. It will also host a virtual event as well as in-person events in the major cities of Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, and London, before a final strategy is published in autumn this year.

“We are constantly surrounded by media, news and entertainment, so the ability to navigate and evaluate content critically is becoming increasingly essential to our daily lives,” said Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s strategy and research group director. “We all have a role to play in making sure that adults and children across the UK can navigate content safely and flourish online.”