Online Safety
We’re changing the way the world stays safe online, which means there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.
The internet is an integral part of everyday life. While this brings many benefits, we can’t ignore the harmful content that people face online each day.
In order to prevent internet users from coming to harm, the UK government introduced the Online Safety Bill into Parliament in March 2022. We played a pivotal role in creating this bill.
How will the bill affect providers?
The finer details will be debated in Parliament but it’s likely that a number of duties will be imposed on providers. As it stands, all regulated platforms and services will have the following responsibilities:
- To carry out and maintain risk assessments for illegal content, content harmful to children and content harmful to adults.
- To take steps to mitigate and manage risks of harm caused by illegal content.
- To protect content of democratic importance, journalistic content and the freedom of expression and privacy.
- To provide a reporting mechanism for users (such as take down requests from users).
- To provide and publish details of complaints and user redress procedures.
- To keep clear and transparent records to evidence compliance.
Where a service is more likely to be accessed by children, the provider will need to comply further with additional duties relating to the accessibility of harmful content.
Ofcom’s role
We were appointed as the chosen regulator to enforce action against media providers that fail to comply with their duties. This sort of work has never been done before – the regulatory framework we’re building is the first of its kind and will set the standard for the future. We’ve got the best people from a range of industries to guide us on this vital work and makek sure it’s done right. Our team is diverse in every sense, taking expertise from a world of cultures and a range of professional experiences.
Our job is a big one. And the programme’s complexity can be categorised into five focus areas:
Supporting the legislative process
This involves engaging with the draft legislation itself and communicating with Government and Parliament.
Preparing our regulatory approach
We need to be prepared to consult on codes of practice and how we assess harmful content and online safety.
Building public trust and awareness
Engaging with our target audience makes sure they understand our role as a regulator. On top of this we build credibility by delivering on our objectives.
Setting up our operation
We prioritise bringing in the right talent. This means we deliver excellent work and put in place the processes and skill sets required to enact our duties.
Investing in technology
We need to continue to adapt and expand our expertise in areas that pose the biggest threats. Staying on top of digital innovation means we can be ready when harmful content evolves.
As an organisation, everything we do is interconnected. Each and every one of our colleagues is exposed to the full regime to ensure we can operate as one. Delivering this work will have a far-reaching global impact. Whether attending parliamentary hearings or creating the latest security algorithms you’re part of the bigger picture. This is an opportunity to change people’s lives for the better, making the online world a safer place for everyone.