Ofcom has published the first codes of practice and guidance in support of the UK’s Online Safety Act meant to protect children and adults from over 130 “priority offences” including terror, hate, fraud, and sexual abuse. Tech companies of all sizes have until March 16th, 2025 to conduct risk assessments and to then begin implementing measures to protect users, assuming parliamentary procedures go as planned.
In a statement, Ofcom said:
For too long, sites and apps have been unregulated, unaccountable and unwilling to prioritise people’s safety over profits. That changes from today. The safety spotlight is now firmly on tech firms and it’s time for them to act. Those that come up short can expect Ofcom to use the full extent of our enforcement powers against them.
Failure to comply could result in fines up to £18M (about $23M) or 10 percent of worldwide revenue — whichever is greater — and a country-wide ban.
[www.ofcom.org.uk]
