To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps her Department is taking to ensure (i) businesses; and (ii) consumers are protected from Artificial Intelligence-driven scams and misinformation.

Significant work is ongoing across responsible agencies, such as Ofcom, the Consumer Council and Trading Standards Service to protect businesses and consumers from online harms.

The recent UK Online Safety Act provides a range of protections against such scams and fraudulent activity, including many types of AI generated deepfake content, and provides powers of enforcement to Ofcom to deal with malicious actors.

My Department’s Trading Standards Service works to tackle online and mass marketing scams and disrupt the operations of perpetrators behind them and they continue to raise awareness of the latest frauds, including AI scams, through media appearances, press releases and social media alerts about. They deliver educational talks to local community groups and businesses while working with banks, charities and law enforcement agencies to identify victims of fraud.

The Consumer Council works closely with a range of partners and community sector organisations to provide support for consumers including tailored resources and regional outreach to promote scam awareness and prevention, and this will remain a priority in 2025.

The Consumer Council and Trading Standards Service are also members of the ScamwiseNI partnership, alongside other organisations such as the PSNI and Department of Justice, which promotes awareness and provides education to the public on the risks of scams.

My department will continue to work with these organisations and others to promote safe and ethical use of AI.