“Time for tech firms to act” (Ofcom)
Ofcom published its first codes of practice and guidance under the OSA, relating to illegal harms – meaning these requirements are now in force.
From this date, in-scope service providers have three months to complete their illegal harms risk assessments and need to introduce the required safety measures by 16 March 2025. Tech firms now have a clear roadmap for meeting the requirements on illegal harms, with Ofcom declaring that it is “time for tech firms to act”.
Read more about this milestone in our insight – Time’s up: the first Online Safety Act requirements come into force.
Ofcom publishes statement on age assurance and children’s access assessments
Ofcom published its statement on highly effective age assurance and children’s access assessments under the OSA, confirming its decisions on the implementation of these key provisions of the OSA, following a consultation process.
The publication of this statement kickstarted the entry into force of the first child safety obligations under the OSA and is accompanied by the publication of three pieces of regulatory guidance for service providers that are in-scope. Service providers have three months from this date to complete their children’s access assessments.
Read more about this milestone in our insight – Big changes for little surfers: OSA age assurance guidance published and child safety obligations commence entry into force.
Deadline: Age assurance measures for pornography providers that publish their own content
Services that publish their own pornographic content (covered under Part 5 of the OSA) must take steps to introduce age assurance measures immediately, as these obligations took effect from 17 January 2025 following the Government’s commencement of Part 5.
Read our “OSA Explainer Article” for pornography providers for more information.
Deadline: Illegal Harms Codes of Practice comes into force
All in-scope service providers must have completed their illegal harms risk assessments and will need to have introduced the required safety measures. Ofcom will have the power to enforce against any non-compliance with these obligations from this date.
Read our “OSA Explainer Article” on Illegal Harms for more information.
Expected: Ofcom statement on Protection of Children (Date TBC)
This statement is anticipated to lay out Ofcom’s decision on Protection of Children Codes and other guidance. Following publication of this statement, service providers will have three months to complete their children’s risk assessments, following which they will need to have implemented all required child safety measures.
Read our “OSA Explainer Article” on the protection of children for more information.
Deadline: Completion of children’s access assessments
Deadline: Pornography providers must implement highly effective age assurance
All services that allow pornography must implement highly effective age assurance by July 2025 at the latest.
However, services that publish their own pornographic content (covered under Part 5 of the OSA) must have taken steps to introduce these age assurance measures already, as these obligations took effect on 17 January 2025 following the Government’s commencement of Part 5.
Read our “OSA Explainer Article” for pornography providers for more information.
Child safety and duties pornography providers codes come into force (Date TBC)
Relevant services must comply with the child safety duties. Ofcom will have the power to enforce against any non-compliance with these duties from this date.
Read our “OSA Explainer Articles” on the protection of children as well as pornography providers for more information.