📌 Key points:
- New rules under the Online Safety Act come into force on 25 July, requiring platforms to protect children from harmful content or face heavy fines.
- Applies to porn sites, social media, and search engines, requiring age checks and removal of content promoting suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders.
- Companies must filter algorithms, take down harmful material quickly, and offer easy reporting systems for young users.
- Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Meta, Reddit, and Pornhub are adopting different age verification methods, such as facial recognition and ID checks.
- Ofcom can fine companies up to £18m or 10% of global turnover, and senior executives may face criminal penalties for non-compliance.
📖 Summary:
Starting 25 July, major tech platforms in the UK are legally required to implement rigorous protections for children online—or face serious consequences. The rollout marks the first enforcement phase of the Online Safety Act, the UK’s landmark digital safety law, and it targets everything from pornography to content encouraging self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders.
Under the new rules, companies must deploy safety measures like age checks, algorithm filtering, and rapid content takedown procedures. Social media giants (like Meta, X, and TikTok), porn providers (Pornhub, OnlyFans), and even search engines (Google, Bing) are all affected. Failure to comply could mean fines of up to £18 million or 10% of a company’s global turnover—plus potential criminal charges for executives who repeatedly ignore enforcement.
Platforms are deploying various age assurance methods, including facial age estimation, credit card or mobile provider checks, and ID scanning. The government has made it clear: self-declared ages and “tick-the-box” terms of service are no longer enough.
While some child safety advocates—like the Molly Rose Foundation—say the new rules still don’t go far enough, this shift is being seen as a “seatbelt moment” for the internet, bringing long-overdue safety expectations to the digital world.
