UK’s Online Safety Act: Regulator’s Child Protection Plans Face Fierce Criticism
The Online Safety Act was introduced with the landmark goal of making the UK the safest place in the world for children to be online. However, the initial plans for how this will be enforced are now facing significant criticism, with experts warning that the current approach may not be strong enough to truly protect young people from harm.
A recent report from a key House of Lords committee has raised serious alarms about the draft guidance issued by Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. The committee argues that the regulator’s strategy is fundamentally flawed, risking a future where tech giants can claim compliance without making their platforms genuinely safer for children.
A Focus on Paperwork, Not Real-World Protection
The central criticism revolves around Ofcom’s proposed method for evaluating tech companies. The Lords committee argues that the regulator is focusing on whether tech firms have the right processes in place, rather than on whether those processes actually reduce the harm children face.
This “process-based” approach means a company could be compliant simply by creating safety policies and conducting risk assessments, even if children on their platform continue to be exposed to dangerous content like self-harm material, eating disorder content, and pornography.
The committee is calling for an “outcomes-based” model instead. This would require Ofcom to measure the real-world effectiveness of a platform’s safety measures. For example, instead of just checking if a company has a policy against bullying, Ofcom should be measuring whether there has been a tangible reduction in the amount of bullying experienced by young users.
The Critical Issue of Age Verification
One of the most contentious points is the enforcement of age assurance technologies. The Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to compel platforms, especially pornography sites, to implement robust age verification systems to prevent children from accessing adult content.
However, critics argue that Ofcom’s draft plans are too weak and show a lack of urgency and ambition, particularly concerning access to online pornography. The committee expressed deep disappointment that the regulator is not taking a more forceful stance on requiring effective age checks from day one, suggesting Ofcom is giving platforms too much leeway to delay implementation.
Without strong enforcement of age verification, a core pillar of the Online Safety Act’s child protection framework could crumble, leaving children exposed to material that is illegal and deeply damaging for them to view.
A Call for Bolder Enforcement
The overarching message from the Lords is that Ofcom is being too timid. In their view, the regulator is “pulling its punches” when it should be setting a high bar for the powerful tech companies it is tasked with overseeing. To fulfill the promise of the Act, the regulator must be more ambitious and assertive in setting clear expectations for tech companies.
If the guidance remains as it is, there is a significant risk that the Online Safety Act will become a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise rather than the powerful protective shield for children it was intended to be.
Proactive Steps for Parents and Guardians
While regulators and tech companies debate the specifics, the safety of children online remains an immediate concern. Here are actionable steps you can take now to help protect your family:
- Foster Open Communication: Create a safe space where your children feel comfortable talking to you about their online experiences, both good and bad. Reassure them that they can come to you without fear of judgment or punishment if they encounter something that makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Utilize Parental Controls: Make full use of the parental control software available on devices (smartphones, tablets, game consoles) and via your home’s internet router. These tools can help filter inappropriate content and manage screen time.
- Review Privacy Settings: Sit down with your children and review the privacy and security settings on their social media apps and online accounts. Ensure their profiles are set to private and that they understand the risks of sharing personal information.
- Educate on Digital Literacy: Teach your children to think critically about what they see online. Discuss the dangers of misinformation, phishing scams, and interacting with strangers.
- Know How to Report: Show your children how to use the built-in reporting tools on apps and websites to flag harmful content or abusive behaviour.
The final shape of the UK’s online safety regulations is still being decided, but the stakes could not be higher. Ensuring that the enforcement is robust, ambitious, and focused on real-world outcomes is essential to creating a safer digital world for the next generation.
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/09/15/uk_lords_take_aim_at/
