The Online Safety Act is a landmark piece of UK legislation designed to create a safer digital environment for users, particularly children. It places legal obligations on online platforms, social media companies, and digital service providers to safeguard users from harmful and illegal content while promoting transparency and accountability. The Act is regulated by Ofcom, the UK’s communications watchdog, and has far-reaching implications for parents, businesses, and internet users alike.

Understanding the Online Safety Act

Enacted in October 2023, the Online Safety Act introduces comprehensive rules requiring online platforms to take proactive measures to detect and mitigate illegal and harmful content. The legislation is particularly focused on:

• Protecting children from exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate material.
• Combating misinformation and preventing the spread of illegal content, including terrorism and child sexual exploitation.
• Ensuring digital platforms fulfil their duty of care, promoting safer user interactions and responsible content moderation.

The Act enforces strict safety protocols, such as age verification systems, content risk assessments, and transparent reporting requirements. It is being implemented in phases to give businesses time to adapt to the new rules.

Key Obligations and Phased Implementation

The Online Safety Act mandates that online platforms:

1. Conduct Risk Assessments: Identify and evaluate the risks of illegal and harmful content on their services.

1. Implement Age Verification: Ensure that children are not exposed to age-inappropriate or harmful material.
2. Maintain Transparency: Publish regular reports detailing safety measures and content moderation practices.

The implementation is phased to help businesses adapt gradually:

• By 16 March 2025: Platforms must complete risk assessments related to illegal harms.
• From 17 March 2025: Safety measures, as outlined in the Act’s codes of practice, must be implemented.
• By April 2025: All user-to-user and search services must conduct a Children’s Access Assessment to determine if their platforms are likely to be accessed by children. If the service deems that is likely, then they need to carry out a children’s risk assessment by July 2025.

This phased approach allows digital service providers to build robust safety frameworks while ensuring compliance with the Act.

Implications for Parents and Businesses

For Parents

In today’s digital age, children are more connected than ever. This brings fantastic opportunities for learning and socialising but also exposes them to risks. The Online Safety Act is designed to offer stronger protections, but it’s important for parents to stay involved too.

As mentioned above, the Act:

• Removes or restricts harmful content, including anything that promotes self-harm, eating disorders, cyberbullying or violent and extremist behaviour.
• Introduces strict age verification, where websites with adult content must have robust systems to prevent underage access.
• Enhances parental controls, where platforms should provide tools that allow parents to manage and monitor their child’s online activities.
• Prevents online grooming and exploitation, where companies must use technology to detect and report harmful interactions quickly.

However, technology alone is not enough. As a parent, you can do your part by:

• Using parental controls to limit access to age-inappropriate content.
• Talking to your child about online safety, privacy settings, and what to do if they encounter something upsetting.
• Monitoring their online activity while respecting their growing independence.
• Keeping an open dialogue so they feel comfortable sharing concerns.

The Online Safety Act lays the groundwork, but parental involvement is still key to keeping children safe online.

For Businesses

For companies operating in the digital space, the Online Safety Act introduces new responsibilities to ensure user safety and maintain transparency, including:

• Duty of care for online platforms: If your platform hosts user-generated content—like social media sites, messaging apps, or forums—you must actively monitor and remove harmful material.
• Transparency reporting: Regular reports must be published detailing content moderation efforts and safety measures.
• Combating misinformation: Stronger policies are needed to tackle misinformation, particularly about health, elections, and crisis events.
• Balancing encryption and safety: Although end-to-end encryption is essential for user privacy, the Act requires businesses to allow law enforcement access to flagged harmful content.

How can Businesses ensure compliance?

Navigating the requirements of the Online Safety Act might seem challenging, but early action can safeguard your business from costly penalties and reputational damage. Here’s how to get started:

• Review and update content moderation policies: Use a combination of AI-driven tools and human moderators to quickly identify and remove harmful content.
• Strengthen user reporting mechanisms: Make it easy for users to flag inappropriate or illegal content.
• Implement advanced age verification systems: This is especially important for platforms containing adult or age-sensitive material.
• Stay informed: Regularly check for updates from Ofcom to ensure ongoing compliance with evolving standards.

The Future of Online Safety Regulation

The Online Safety Act marks a turning point in digital governance in the UK, setting a new standard for online safety and platform accountability. However, it also raises complex questions about privacy, freedom of speech, and how companies will balance safety with user rights.

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and so will this legislation. By staying informed and proactive, businesses can navigate these changes successfully while continuing to provide safe and positive online experiences.

Conclusion

The Online Safety Act is a major step forward in regulating the internet. It offers better protections for children and other vulnerable users while imposing strict obligations on businesses to ensure user safety.

At Data Protection People, we help businesses navigate complex regulatory landscapes, ensuring compliance with laws like the Online Safety Act and UK GDPR. If your organisation needs expert guidance on online safety, data protection, or digital compliance, contact us today.

 

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer