Ofcom, the UK’s digital and comms regulator, has introduced a new code of practice designed to ensure that tech firms adhere to their child safety responsibilities under the Online Safety Act. The recently published “Protection of Children Codes and Guidance” was developed following a comprehensive consultation process involving interviews with thousands of parents and children, as well as feedback from industry stakeholders, civil society groups, charities, and child safety experts.
This new code of practice contains 40 distinct measures that website and app providers must implement to safeguard children from exposure to harmful content, provide support to those who have already been affected, and give children more control over their online experiences. The regulator’s “safety first” approach necessitates the implementation of recommender systems to filter out detrimental content from children’s feeds, more effective age verification processes to ensure age-appropriate experiences for younger users, and procedures to swiftly review, assess, and remove harmful content upon identification.
Moreover, the code calls for measures such as granting children greater control over the content they are exposed to, the ability to manage group chat invitations, block or mute accounts, and disable comments on their posts. It also requires online platforms to provide a user-friendly mechanism for reporting inappropriate content, alongside terms of service that are easily understandable by children. In terms of governance, the code mandates the appointment of a designated individual responsible for children’s safety and the establishment of a senior body to annually review risks to children online.
Ofcom’s CEO, Melanie Dawes, hailed the introduction of these rules as a pivotal moment for enhancing children’s safety in the digital landscape. She emphasized that the measures would create safer social media environments with reduced harmful content, better protections against contact from strangers, and robust age verification processes for adult content. Dawes warned that failure by companies to comply with these regulations could result in enforcement actions.
The potential repercussions for non-compliance include hefty fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, as well as the possibility of a court order to block access to a site or app for UK users. Ofcom highlighted research indicating that a significant proportion of children have encountered harmful content online, underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues.
Tech firms have faced increasing scrutiny from regulators regarding their handling of underage users, with ongoing investigations into platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur over concerns related to the use of children’s personal data. TikTok, in particular, has faced legal action and fines in the US for similar infractions, highlighting the need for more stringent regulations in the digital space.
Following Ofcom’s recent announcement, online service providers within the regulatory scope are required to conduct and document a risk assessment of their services by July 24. Subsequently, they must implement the necessary safety measures outlined in the code by July 25 to ensure compliance with the new child safety regulations in the UK.