A few months ago, Neowin reported that Ofcom, the UK’s digital regulator, will start enforcing new Online Safety Act (OSA) rules beginning March 17 – that's today. Since mid-December, when Neowin reported this, companies that are targeted by the OSA have had to complete an assessment of the risks posed by illegal content on their platforms. The deadline for the assessment was March 16.
Under the rules, Ofcom wants to see improved moderation and reporting, and increased protections for children and other vulnerable groups. Failure to comply with the new rules can lead to very serious consequences for companies, including fines of up to £18 million or 10% of their qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is higher. Additionally, senior managers at non-complying companies can be jailed for up to two years.
Aside from financial and criminal punishments, Ofcom can also get apps and websites banned in the UK if they do not comply. The OSA represents some of the most significant changes to the online space in the UK ever. They were first drawn up while the Conservatives were in government and implementation is continuing under Labour, which also supports the measures.
Another major milestone to watch out for is July 2025, when Ofcom says websites will have to start implementing age assurance checks. These age checks will need to be present on any websites that contain pornography or harmful content. The methods that can be used include age verification where some form of ID is presented, or age estimation technology that takes a photo of your face and tries to guess your age before deleting the picture.
If websites decide to apply such practices globally, rather than just on their UK sites, this legislation could also help to protect people online, no matter where they are from.
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