On December 16, 2024, Ofcom commenced enforcement of its 'illegal content' codes under the Online Safety Act (OSA), with compliance required from March 17, 2025. Online service providers must appoint a senior executive for OSA adherence, enhance staffing for content moderation, improve algorithmic testing to reduce illegal content spread, and actively detect child exploitation materials. A proactive approach involves risk assessments and demonstrating actions to combat online harms. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle highlights these changes as crucial for online safety, emphasizing that this marks just the beginning in the ongoing fight against illegal content.
These changes represent a major step forward in creating a safer online world. For too long illegal content including child abuse material, terrorist content, and intimate image abuse has been easy to find online.
But from today social media platforms and others have a legal duty to prevent and remove that content.
Last year alone, the Internet Watch Foundation removed over 290,000 instances of child abuse content.
The Online Safety Act is not the end of the conversation - it's the foundation. We will keep listening and we will not hesitate to strengthen the law further to tackle new threats.
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