Retention of information by providers of internet services
Section 101 of the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) created a new power for OFCOM to issue information notices to relevant persons (as defined by section 100(5)(a)-(e)) requiring them to provide information to OFCOM for the purposes set out in section 101(1)).
	The provision in the Act builds on this, by creating a requirement for OFCOM, when notified of a child death by the Coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland), to issue an information notice to providers of specified kinds of regulated service requiring them to retain certain information relating to the use of the service by the deceased child for a specified period.
	It also gives OFCOM the power, where relevant, to issue such information notices to any other relevant person (as defined in section 101 OSA 2023) requiring retention of information relating to a child’s use of specific kinds of regulated service 2 .
	The provision will help ensure that in those cases caught, should OFCOM, the Coroner or the Procurator Fiscal require the information at a later stage of the investigation, it has not been deleted through routine processes or otherwise.
	The provision also provides for the enforcement powers relating to information notices issued under section 101 of the OSA 2023 to apply to the new information notices under this provision, and creates additional criminal offences tailored to this provision.