Trying to track the staggered implementation of the UK Online Safety Act 2023 (“OSA”)? You are in safe hands here. See the latest updates and key dates below.

13 August 2025Investigation into 4chan and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content

Ofcom opened an investigation on 10 June 2025 into the online discussion board 4chan, examining whether 4chan failed to respond to statutory information requests, to conduct and record a suitable illegal content risk assessment, and to comply with safety duties regarding illegal content.

On 13 August 2025, Ofcom issued 4chan a provisional notice of contravention, finding reasonable grounds to believe the provider failed to comply with two information requests under section 102(8) of the Act. Ofcom will consider any representations from 4chan before making a final decision, and the investigation into other potential breaches, including user protection from illegal content, remains ongoing.

11 August 2025Wikipedia loses challenge against Online Safety Act verification rules

Wikipedia, through the Wikimedia Foundation, has lost its legal challenge against the Online Safety Act’s categorisation regulations. Wikipedia argued that these rules, which impose the strictest obligations for Category 1 services, are too broad and could threaten the privacy and safety of Wikipedia’s users - for example, given that Wikipedia would be required to verify the identity of many Wikipedia contributors. The High Court rejected Wikimedia’s arguments but emphasised that Ofcom and the government must ensure Wikipedia is protected as the Online Safety Act is implemented, and did not give them unrestricted authority to impose measures that would significantly impede Wikipedia’s operations.

Although the decision means Wikipedia could still be subject to the strictest Category 1 rules, it does leave open the possibility for future legal challenges if Ofcom decides to classify the site in this way. The judgment acknowledged that Wikipedia is different from other user-to-user platforms and suggested that exemption from the stricter rules could still be considered upon review. 

31 July 2025 Ofcom investigates 34 porn sites under new age-check rules

Ofcom has launched formal investigations into four companies operating 34 pornography websites to assess their compliance with new age-check requirements under the Online Safety Act. These rules, which came into force on 25 July 2025, require sites allowing user-uploaded pornographic content to implement highly effective age assurance measures to prevent children from accessing such material. The companies under investigation—8579 LLC, AVS Group Ltd, Kick Online Entertainment S.A., and Trendio Ltd—were prioritised due to the potential risk of harm and their large UK user bases.

Ofcom will now review evidence to determine whether these providers have breached their duties. If compliance failures are identified, provisional notices of contravention will be issued, allowing the companies to respond before final decisions are made. Ofcom has the authority to require corrective action, impose significant fines, and, in the most serious cases, seek court orders to disrupt business operations, including blocking access to non-compliant sites in the UK. Updates on these investigations will follow in due course.

25 July 2025Repeal of the UK’s Video-Sharing Platforms regime

On 25 July 2025, the UK’s Video-Sharing Platforms (VSP) regime was repealed, marking the end of four years as the country's primary framework for online safety regulation. All services previously regulated under the VSP regime are now subject to the Online Safety Act.

25 July 2025Online age checks must be in force from 25 July 2025

With the deadline for completing the first children’s risk assessments having passed on the 24 July 2025, the duties to protect children from harms online are now in force. From 25 July 2025, tech firms must implement robust age checks to prevent children from accessing online pornography and other harmful content, such as material related to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders. Major platforms—including Pornhub, Bluesky, Discord, Grindr, Reddit, and X—have committed to deploying age checks across their services. Ofcom will enforce compliance, extending its oversight to all sites that allow user-shared pornographic content. The regulator will also monitor the largest platforms used by children, requiring them to assess and report on their child safety measures, particularly around content feeds and algorithms. Most UK parents support these new protections, though some doubt tech firms will fully comply. Ofcom warns that non-compliance will result in enforcement action.

21 July 2025Ofcom publishes its final transparency statement and transparency reporting guidance

Ofcom published its final transparency statement and guidance on transparency reporting. This guidance clarifies when and how Ofcom will use its transparency powers, outlining the process for transparency reporting under the Online Safety Act. The guidance details the requirements for providers of "categorised services"—such as social media, search, and pornography platforms listed on Ofcom’s public register—to publish transparency reports. These reports must include information specified by Ofcom in transparency notices, and the guidance explains the factors Ofcom will consider in determining what information must be disclosed. It also sets out how Ofcom will engage with stakeholders during the reporting process. Ofcom will also publish its own transparency report, which will analyse and draw conclusions from the reports submitted by service providers.

18 July 2025Ofcom publishes second consultation on online safety fees and penalties

Ofcom launched its second consultation on implementing the online safety fees and penalties regime. It provides draft guidance to help service providers calculate their Qualifying Worldwide Revenue (QWR), which determines whether they are required to pay fees under the Online Safety Act. The Act mandates that Ofcom’s costs for regulating online safety are recovered from certain providers of regulated services, specifically those whose QWR exceeds a threshold set by the Secretary of State. The recently laid regulations define QWR as the total revenue generated worldwide from relevant parts of a provider’s regulated services and require providers to use a ‘just and reasonable approach’ when apportioning revenue between regulated and other activities. The consultation remains open until 10 September 2025.

11 July 2025Ofcom publishes paper exploring how different tools can be used to identify deepfakes

Ofcom published a discussion paper examining tools to identify deepfakes—AI-generated fake videos, images, and audio—which threaten online safety. The paper evaluates four main ‘attribution measures’: watermarking, provenance metadata, AI labels, and context annotations. These tools aim to help users recognise AI-generated content and understand how it was created. The paper highlights that attribution measures can help users think more critically about content but should not place all responsibility on individuals. It stresses the need for clear communication, standardisation, and combining attribution with other interventions, as these measures can be manipulated or removed. The findings are intended to guide industry and policy, rather than set new rules, and will inform Ofcom’s future work under the Online Safety Act.

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