Today marks a pivotal moment in the journey toward a safer internet as Ofcom publishes its Illegal Harms statement, officially initiating the implementation of the Online Safety Act (OSA). This announcement represents the first step in a comprehensive rollout designed to protect users—particularly children—from harmful and illegal content online.
As an online safeguarding and safety tech provider, we at Verifymy warmly welcome this milestone. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting Ofcom, empowering platforms to meet their regulatory obligations, and fostering a safer, more inclusive internet for all.
What is the Online Safety Act? A reminder.
The Online Safety Act (OSA) introduces groundbreaking legal obligations for online service providers, ensuring the safety of their users, especially children. Under the Act, companies offering user-to-user services or search engines must actively tackle illegal and harmful content while demonstrating a “duty of care” to protect vulnerable users.
Importantly, the OSA applies to all in-scope services with a significant UK user base or target the UK market, regardless of the company’s location, and these businesses must now take proactive steps to assess and mitigate risks to UK users. The emphasis is on real, measurable outcomes to ensure user safety.
Ofcom’s Illegal Harms statement: The first step in implementation
The Illegal Harms statement released today is part of phase one of Ofcom’s roll-out of the OSA. Accompanying this statement are several critical documents that outline the expectations and guidance for compliance which aim to support companies that fall under the Act in complying with these requirements.
- Illegal Harms Codes of Practice: First edition of comprehensive guidelines for user-to-user services and search, setting out the measures regulated services must take to comply with their illegal harms duties under the Online Safety Act 2023.
- Guidance on illegal harms risk assessments: Practical advice for assessing risks and implementing mitigation strategies.
- Final enforcement guidance: Clarifying Ofcom’s approach to enforcement and the consequences of non-compliance.
- Record-keeping and review guidance: Detailing the requirements for monitoring and documenting compliance efforts.
These resources are designed to provide a clear roadmap for businesses as they begin to align their operations with the OSA’s mandates.
Most significantly, as of today, services falling within the scope of the Act are required to initiate risk assessments for illegal content on their platforms.
Ofcom states:
“Providers now have a duty to assess the risk of illegal harms on their services, with a deadline of 16 March 2025. Subject to the Codes completing the Parliamentary process, from 17 March 2025, providers will need to take the safety measures set out in the Codes or use other effective measures to protect users from illegal content and activity. We are ready to take enforcement action if providers do not act promptly to address the risks on their services.”
Ofcom’s press release focuses on:
- Senior accountability for safety
- Better moderation, easier reporting and built-in safety tests
- Protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation online, including tackling pathways to online grooming
Ofcom has already confirmed that some of the issues raised in responses to their consultation will be addressed in their consultation on the next iteration of the codes, which is due next Spring. These proposals will include:
- Banning the accounts of those found to have shared CSAM;
- Crisis response protocols for emergency events (such as the riots in August 2024)
- Use of hash matching to prevent the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery and terrorist content; and
- Tackling illegal harms including CSAM through the use of AI
The road ahead: Turning regulation into real-world impact
While 2024 marks a significant regulatory shift with the introduction of the OSA, the real challenge lies in its implementation. The effectiveness of these measures will lie in their ability to deliver tangible safety improvements for internet users by 2025 and beyond.
Today’s announcement is just the start of Ofcom’s implementation. Over the next couple of months, user-to-user and search services will see:
- January:
- Part 5 duties on pornography providers expected to come into force
- Publication of final child access assessment duties guidance
- February:
- Consultation on the draft guidance for the protection of women and girls
- April:
- Publication of final protection of children statement, children’s risk assessment guidance, code of practice and related guidance
- Spring:
- Further consultation on illegal harms codes
- Consultation on automated content detection tools
- Final transparency guidance published by Ofcom
At Verifymy, we understand the importance of safeguarding children and society online. We’re committed to supporting platforms, regulators, and stakeholders in ensuring the OSA’s goals are achieved. Collaboration will be key—by working together, we can create an internet that is not only safer but also more inclusive and empowering for everyone.
How Verifymy can help
We offer cutting-edge safety technology solutions to help platforms comply with the OSA’s requirements and protect their users effectively.
Age verification and estimation
We offer a wide range of age estimation and age verification solutions. We can supply highly effective age assurance solutions, which will be required by the Act to prevent minors from seeing what is termed “Primary Priority Content”, such as suicide and self-harm information as well as pornography. We can also help estimate users’ ages to protect them from other “Priority Content,” which includes bullying and harmful challenges.
Email address age estimation:
Our email address age estimation solution uses just an email address to determine the age of users online to a very high degree of accuracy. It’s not just an age assurance tool; it’s a game-changer in simplifying age check processes and ensuring age-appropriate experiences online. It can be deployed in the background with no user interaction required, eliminating the hassle of age verification for your entire user base and minimising any business disruption.
Identity verification & content moderation:
Focusing on the ever-growing issue of illicit content online, our industry-leading proprietary tech is the driving force behind our second solution – a complete end-to-end identity verification and content moderation solution to prevent uploaders from publishing illegal content on user-generated content platforms, ensuring a safe, trustworthy, and compliant online experience for everyone.
Conclusion
The commencement of the Online Safety Act’s implementation is a significant step forward in creating a safer digital world. By addressing illegal harms and prioritising user safety, the OSA sets a strong foundation for the future of online safety.
At Verifymy, we’re proud to play a role in this transformative journey. As the OSA continues to unfold, we’re here to support platforms in meeting their obligations and delivering on the promise of a safer internet. Together, we can build a safer, more inclusive digital environment for all.
For more information on how Verifymy can support your compliance efforts, contact us today.
