Ofcom is publishing a statement that sets out new measures to be included in the Illegal Content Codes of Practice and Protection of Children Codes of Practice to appropriately respond to a crisis event.
This statement sets out our decision to recommend that service providers should prepare and apply a crisis protocol to mitigate and manage the risks arising from a significant increase in relevant illegal content and/or content harmful to children on their services. Certain service providers should also have a dedicated communication channel by which law enforcement can contact them on crisis-related matters during a crisis.
We have defined a crisis as an “extraordinary situation in which there is a serious threat to public safety in the United Kingdom”, which is highly likely to have resulted from a significant increase in relevant content. During a crisis, certain kinds of illegal content and/or content harmful to children can spread rapidly online. In some cases, this can create a significant risk to the public safety within the United Kingdom.
For example, evidence from previous crisis events illustrate how the perpetrators use online services to carry out illegal activity, such as inciting racial or religious hatred, making threats, or inciting violence. This can lead to an increase in the amount of illegal content circulating online but also manifest in violence in the real-world.
Such crises are exceptional, and this means that online service providers’ usual content moderation systems and processes may not be sufficient in such circumstances.
In June 2025, we consulted on a number of additional safety measures, including a measure that recommended certain service providers set up a crisis response protocol. We have carefully considered all relevant stakeholder feedback and decided to confirm this recommendation, but now split into two measures.
Our first measure recommends that service providers should prepare and apply a crisis protocol to mitigate and manage the risks arising from a significant increase in relevant illegal content and/or content harmful to children on their services. The second measure recommends that service providers have a dedicated communication channel by which law enforcement can contact them on crisis-related matters during a crisis. The measures are intended to ensure that service providers within scope can act promptly and effectively during a crisis. They will help ensure that service providers have appropriate systems and processes in place to enable rapid and coordinated action when a crisis emerges.