Ofcom has announced the appointment of a senior leader for its online safety policy team. Jessica Zucker joins from Meta (formerly Facebook), where she led the company’s Misinformation Policy team in Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as acting as the company’s global health misinformation lead during the pandemic.

She brings deep insight and hands-on experience to a critical area of Ofcom’s new remit.

With the Online Safety Bill now making its way through the UK’s Parliament, Ofcom is gearing up to implement new powers, creating a safer life online for everyone.  Once the Bill is enacted, new regulatory tools will enable the Ofcom team to demand information from tech companies, rigorously assess their approach to online safety and hold them to account if they fail to reach required standards, the British media regulator said in a statement.

These new responsibilities build on Ofcom’s role regulating UK-established video-sharing platforms (VSPs), which includes some of the most successful and fastest-growing online video services, including TikTok, Twitch and Snapchat. Together these new responsibilities constitute the most significant expansion of remit since Ofcom was formed in 2003.

Zucker will join in early June as a new Director of Online Safety Policy, leading Ofcom’s work to implement online content regulation in the UK.

Working alongside the two existing Online Safety Policy Directors she will oversee a rapidly expanding policy team and portfolio. She will focus on Ofcom’s implementation of the regulation of video sharing platforms, ensuring that this critical work also informs the development of the next generation of online safety regulation.

As part of Ofcom’s Senior Leadership Group, she will contribute to the effective leadership, management, and development of colleagues across the Group and organisation.

“I’m really excited to join Ofcom as they prepare to take on these new and important responsibilities.  I’m looking forward to working with a world class team that will set the global foundation for content regulation,” Zucker said.

Commenting on the appointment, Kevin Bakhurst, Ofcom’s Group Director Broadcasting and Online Safety, said:“I’m incredibly proud that Jessica has made the decision to move to Ofcom from Meta. This is an exciting remit – Jessica will be part of a great team working to preserve freedom of expression while protecting children and other vulnerable groups from harm online.  It’s a great moment to join Ofcom.”