UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to ban under-16s from main social media platforms by next spring. The government is shifting its stance on tech industry access to children, prompted by concerns over wellbeing, time spent online, bullying, and AI chatbot misuse.
UK regulator Ofcom has issued an open letter reminding social media platforms of their legal obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023 to mitigate illegal content, particularly hate speech and incitement to violence. This follows civil unrest in Belfast, where riots erupted in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Elon Musk's retweets of content critical of immigration and the UK's judiciary have drawn attention.
The UK government is consulting on new online safety measures for children, with proposals including an Australia-style ban for under-16s or restrictions on addictive features. Parents of victims, MPs, and industry representatives have shared diverse views, with many favoring targeted regulations over a blanket ban.
Google denies breaching the UK Online Safety Act despite promoting a banned US-based suicide forum linked to 164 UK deaths, accessible via search results with basic circumvention methods.
A US-based online suicide forum linked to over 160 UK deaths is fined £950,000 by Ofcom, which is also seeking to block UK access due to deliberate breaches of laws against promoting suicide.
Facebook and Instagram owner claims charges should not be calculated based on a company’s global revenueMeta has launched a legal challenge against the UK’s media regulator over the fees and fines regime it is enforcing under landmark digital safety legislation.The Facebook and Instagram owner is claiming that Ofcom’s methodology for calculating the charges is flawed and should not be based on a company’s global revenue. Breaches of the Online Safety Act can be punished by fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue (QWR) or £18m – depending which is higher. Continue reading...
PornHub has fully restored access for UK Apple users after partially blocking the platform in January due to the Online Safety Act. The site's parent company, Aylo, praised Apple's new device-level age verification as a 'trailblazing' solution.
Ofcom has launched an investigation into Telegram to determine whether the messaging platform is failing to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), potentially breaching the UK's Online Safety Act. The regulator received evidence from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, while research identified 150 channels globally sharing AI-generated deepfake nudes and 24,671 users in Italy and Spain sharing non-consensual intimate images including CSAM.
Sony is starting to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act by notifying PlayStation players of its age verification requirements today. PS4 and PS5 owners in the UK and Ireland won't be able to participate in voice chats, messaging, parties, or other third-party communication services from June unless they verify their age. "Beginning June 2026, […]
