Online Safety Act 2023

The Act defines regulated user-to-user and search services, including services outside the UK with links to the UK. Part 3 imposes duties of care: illegal content risk assessments and safety duties, children's risk assessments and safety duties, content reporting and complaints, freedom of expression and privacy duties, and extra duties for categorised services. It covers pornography providers' age-assurance duties, Ofcom's codes of practice, information powers, fees and enforcement, and creates offences such as false and threatening communications, cyberflashing and sharing intimate images.

It is the UK's main platform-regulation law, with fines up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

Use it for duties of online platforms or search services with UK users, age assurance, children's online safety or the online communications offences.

Providers of user-to-user, search and pornography services with links to the UK.

CURRENT. Royal Assent 26 October 2023; duties apply in phases as Ofcom codes come into force. Read the official PDF on this page for the operative text.

Sections 1-5 → Part 3 Chapter 2 (user-to-user duties) → Part 5 → Part 7.