Protecting children

OS-Protecting Children-bedroom

Investigating OnlyFans' compliance with its duties to protect under-18s from restricted material and respond to information requests

Published: 1 May 2024

Last updated: 30 August 2024

Ofcom have opened an investigation into Fenix International Limited, the provider of VSP OnlyFans. The investigation concerns OnlyFans’ compliance with its statutory obligations under sections 368Y(3)(b) and (c), 368Z10(6), and 368Z1(2) of the Act.

Boosting children's safety online: Help Centres

Published: 8 May 2024

Last updated: 30 July 2024

This online trial tested different ways to encourage children to access age-appropriate user support materials (or help centre) during the sign-up process of a mock social media platform.

New rules for online services: what you need to know

Published: 27 February 2024

Last updated: 26 July 2024

The Online Safety Act makes businesses responsible for keeping people, especially children, safe online. Here’s what you need to know and do now.

TikTok fined £1.875m for providing inaccurate data on safety controls

Published: 24 July 2024

Ofcom has today fined TikTok £1.875 million for failing to accurately respond to a formal request for information about its parental controls safety feature.

Investigation into TikTok's compliance with a statutory information request

Published: 14 December 2023

Last updated: 24 July 2024

We are investigating whether TikTok has failed to comply with its duties to provide information in response to a formal notice, in such a manner as specified by Ofcom.

Quick guide to children’s access assessments

Published: 7 May 2024

Last updated: 21 June 2024

Children’s access assessments are a new assessment that all user-to user-services and search services (‘Part 3 services’) regulated under the Online Safety Act must carry out to establish whether a service – or part of a service – is likely to be accessed by children.

Quick guide to children’s risk assessments: protecting children online

Published: 7 May 2024

Last updated: 11 June 2024

This page summarises proposals we are consulting on – we will update this information when final documents are in place. Please note that this quick guide is intended to introduce your children’s risk assessment duties. Our guidance will set out your legal responsibilities in full.

A quick guide to Children’s Safety Codes

Published: 7 May 2024

Last updated: 11 June 2024

Under the Online Safety Act, services that are likely to be accessed by children have new duties to comply with to protect children online. One way they can do that is to adopt the safety measures in Ofcom’s codes of practices.

Ofcom secures better protections online for children using VSP Twitch

Published: 13 May 2024

Following a period of engagement, Twitch has now made significant changes to the content available on its homepage, as well as introducing a number of protection measures to stop children accessing content about gambling or sexual themes.

Ofcom secures better protections for children on Twitch

Published: 13 May 2024

Children in the UK will be better protected from harmful videos on Twitch after Ofcom raised concerns about the online platform’s safety measures.

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