Online Safety Act 2023
In force since 26 October 2023
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For AI Agents: This index covers the UK Online Safety Act 2023. Use the Regulation Map below to find specific topics. Each linked document contains detailed requirements with official citations.
Quick Reference
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Title | Online Safety Act 2023 |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Regulator | Ofcom |
| In Force | 26 October 2023 (Royal Assent) |
| Applies To | User-to-user services, search services with UK users |
| Key Obligation | Duty of care to protect users from illegal/harmful content |
Common Questions
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who must comply? | Providers of user-to-user services and search services with UK users or targeted at UK | s.3-5 |
| What content must be moderated? | Illegal content (priority offences), content harmful to children | s.7-9, s.12 |
| Are there enhanced duties? | Yes, Category 1 services have additional duties re: democratic content | s.17-22 |
| What about children? | Services likely accessed by children must conduct assessments and implement protections | s.35-37 |
| What are the penalties? | Fines up to 10% of global revenue, criminal liability for senior managers | s.139-144 |
Regulation Map
Core Duties
- Definitions and Scope — s.1-5: Key definitions, regulated services, territorial scope
- User-to-User Service Duties — s.7-23: Illegal content duty, children’s safety duty, Category 1 duties
Specific Requirements
- Children and Fraud Protection — s.35-40: Children’s access assessments, fraudulent advertising
- Pornographic Content — s.81-85: Age verification for pornographic content
- CSEA Terms of Service — s.73-78: Child sexual exploitation and abuse terms
Compliance and Enforcement
- Codes of Practice — s.41-49: Ofcom codes, compliance guidance
- Content Notices — s.121-125: Content removal and blocking powers
- Communications Offences — s.179-188: False communications, threatening communications
- Enforcement — s.139-144: Penalties, business disruption measures, senior manager liability
Key Compliance Points
- Risk Assessment — Conduct illegal content and children’s safety risk assessments
- Content Moderation — Implement systems to identify and remove illegal content
- Age Assurance — Use age verification/estimation for adult content
- Terms of Service — Clear terms on content policies and user rights
- Reporting — Transparency reporting and regulatory cooperation
- Complaints — User-accessible complaints procedures