The UK government has released a draft outlining its strategic priorities for Ofcom under the Online Safety Act, which takes effect in spring 2025.
The Online Safety Act, passed in October 2023, imposes clear responsibilities on digital platforms to safeguard children from harmful or inappropriate content, like pornography and self-harm posts. It demands enforcement of age limits, age-checking measures, and thorough risk assessments concerning children’s safety on their services. Platforms must also act quickly to remove illegal content or prevent it from appearing at all.
The draft Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP), published on November 20, 2024, highlights five key areas: safety by design, transparency and accountability, agile regulation, inclusivity and resilience, and innovation in online safety technologies. As Ofcom implements the OSA, it must report back to the secretary of state on how it addresses these priorities to ensure a safer online environment.
Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, emphasized the government’s commitment to keeping children safe online. He explained that the priorities aim to weave safety into social media from the start, enhance platform transparency, and enable monitoring of progress. The goal is to adapt to emerging technologies and create a safer internet for children.
The government’s safety-by-design approach requires platforms to consider all aspects of their services, including algorithms, in their efforts to protect users. The focus lies on preventing harm wherever possible. Ofcom has the authority to gather information, conduct audits, enforce regulations, and impose penalties to ensure compliance.
Building a solid evidence base on online harms is essential. The government aims to understand the prevalence and types of harmful content children encounter and how they interact with it. This knowledge will guide safety-by-design efforts.
To promote trust and accountability, Ofcom needs to foster a culture of openness through transparency reporting, bringing attention to significant harms and uncovering systemic issues. The reports should showcase best practices for platforms to enhance user safety, offering clear, accessible information for researchers and law enforcement.
Additionally, there’s an emphasis on creating straightforward and consistently applied terms of service, making platforms accountable to their users, and providing coroners with access to data through Ofcom following a child’s death to understand if online activities played a role.
Ofcom must also keep a close eye on new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, which could contribute to online harms. The regulator should identify and address risks associated with AI-generated content and its application on regulated platforms.
The SSP encourages Ofcom to advocate for innovative safety technologies. It can recommend effective solutions while the government supports its efforts in understanding the efficacy of these technologies, pushing for ambitious recommendations that keep pace with technological advancements.
A focus on developing age-assurance technologies is critical as well, ensuring that these methods protect children’s privacy while keeping them safe online.
Recognizing the need for more research, the government has announced a new study into how smartphone and social media usage affects children. This research aims to deepen policymakers’ understanding of the relationship between children’s well-being and technology, helping inform future actions to enhance online safety.
“We’re kicking off research that builds the evidence base we need to keep children safe online,” Kyle stated. He’s dedicated to using every tool available to monitor new laws’ impact, gather better evidence, and collaborate with online safety advocates.
In April 2024, Ofcom released its draft online child safety rules, urging technology firms to implement strong age-checking and content moderation systems. These draft codes require firms to designate a senior person responsible for compliance with children’s safety duties, carry out annual reviews of risk management activities, and establish a code of conduct focused on child protection.