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Online Safety Act

UK law requiring online platforms to tackle illegal content and protect children, enforced by regulator Ofcom with fining powers.

Known aliases

  • UK Online Safety Act

Current stories

leadershipConfirmed2 publishers

Meta takes Ofcom to the High Court over group-wide revenue in Online Safety Act fines

Meta is challenging Ofcom in the High Court over the revenue definition that sets Online Safety Act fines at up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue. Meta says the Act gives Ofcom no power to count unregulated revenue when it names several entities, City AM reported.

Reality

Evidence58
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap
Not scored
Incentives70
Confidence72
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Nandy warns tech firms that Britain's under-16 social media ban is only a staging post

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy says the UK's under-16 social media ban, due in March, is only a staging post toward a more interventionist state. Platforms preparing for that deadline are building for a first tranche, with more promised by the minister now in charge.

Publishers:theguardian.com

Reality

Evidence50
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+35
Incentives60
Confidence45
securityConfirmed4 publishers

Ofcom asks Aylo what testing it did before it trusted Apple's under-18 signal

Pornhub's parent company started reading Apple's device-level under-18 signal in May. Ofcom's investigation is about the testing Aylo did before it switched that over. The liability stays with Aylo.

Perspective Coverage

4 publishers
Builder
Builder 28%
Operator
Operator 46%
Investor
Investor 26%

Reality

Evidence76
Adoption55
Hype gap+12
Incentives78
Confidence74
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Meta appeals the Ofcom category that would add fraud-advertising duties to WhatsApp and Instagram

Meta's second action against Ofcom this year disputes the categorisation that attaches extra transparency, user-control and fraud-advertising duties to two of its services. Ofcom's online safety director told peers the regulator is operating in a highly litigious environment.

Publishers:theguardian.com

Reality

Evidence58
Adoption40
Hype gap+10
Incentives75
Confidence58
securityOne report1 publisher

Xicoia face-scans every Tilly Norwood caller worldwide before the first call connects

Xicoia made a biometric age estimate mandatory for every Talking Tilly caller this month and cites legitimate interests as the legal basis. The service closes on September 27; transcripts can be held for eight weeks.

Reality

Evidence60
Adoption30
Hype gap+10
Incentives62
Confidence55
productOne report1 publisher

A minister asked for an algorithm change, and the Online Safety Act has no line for it

After seven deaths on the A66, Luke Pollard told platforms to demote dangerous driving as well as delete it. TikTok answered with a takedown rate that measures something else.

Publishers:bbc.co.uk

Reality

Evidence58
Adoption32
Hype gap+34
Incentives72
Confidence55