Part 9: Secretary of State’s functions in relation to regulated services Directions to OFCOM Section 175: Directions in special circumstances
This section enables the Secretary of State to give OFCOM directions in circumstances where they consider there is a threat to the health or safety of the public, or to national security. This includes directing OFCOM to prioritise action to respond to a specific threat when exercising its media literacy functions and to require specified service providers, or providers of regulated services generally, to publicly report on what steps it is taking to respond to that threat. For example, the Secretary of State could issue a direction during a pandemic to require OFCOM to give priority to ensuring that health misinformation and disinformation is effectively tackled when exercising its media literacy function and to require service providers to report on the action they are taking to address this issue.
	Subsection (6) specifies that the Secretary of State must publish the reasons for giving a direction in circumstances where this is given in response to a threat to the health or safety of the public. There is no requirement to publish reasons for giving a direction where this is done in response to a threat to national security.
	The Secretary of State can vary or revoke a direction at any time. If so, OFCOM can vary or revoke the public statement notice they have given pursuant to the Secretary of State’s direction: see subsection (7) and (8).