The Liberal Democrats will call for a levy on large technology companies to pay for a new £250 million Online Crime Agency, the party said ahead of its conference. The proposal is due to be announced on Monday by Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dems' home affairs spokesperson.
The proposed agency would focus on a range of online offences, including child sexual abuse material, trafficking in drugs and weapons, and pornographic images generated using artificial intelligence (deepfakes). Party officials said the body would be dedicated to investigating and disrupting those crimes on digital platforms.
The levy on "big tech" is one of several measures being advanced at the conference as the party seeks to respond to internal concerns that too many voters remain unclear about what the Liberal Democrats stand for. Delegates are considering a slate of policies intended to sharpen the party's message and public profile ahead of the next general election.
The announcement forms part of the Lib Dems' broader effort to address online harms and to propose new regulatory and enforcement approaches for the internet era. Further details, including how the levy would be structured and administered, are expected to be set out when Wilkinson presents the proposal at the conference.