The Online Safety Act places a duty on Ofcom to publish a statutory report on content that is harmful to children at least every three years, with the first report due by 26 October 2026. This is a call for evidence to support that first report, which will build on our assessment of content harmful to children in our April 2025 Children’s Register of Risks.
We are seeking evidence on the following:
- the incidence of content harmful to children on regulated user-to-user, search and/or combined services. This includes the quantity, prevalence or presence of such content on these services and the frequency with which children are encountering it.
- the harm that children in the UK suffer or may suffer as a result of encountering content that is harmful to children. This evidence should focus on physical or psychological harm to children.
- evidence suggesting it may be appropriate to make changes to the kinds of PPC and PC in the Act and, if so, what changes would be appropriate.
Responding to this Call for Evidence
Please submit responses using the response form no later than 5pm 10 March.
Content harmful to children discussion resource
This document provides examples of questions Ofcom has asked in our engagement with children aged 13-17 about content harmful to children online.
We are publishing it in response to requests from a number of stakeholders, so that it is available to all organisations that may want to use it to help inform their work. When discussing these issues with children, we encourage stakeholders to adapt this guidance as appropriate for their organisation, including the needs of the children they are speaking to, and the purpose of their engagement with children.
Alongside research and other evidence, engaging with children has a crucial role to play in shaping both our recommendations and the safety measures implemented by online services, ensuring that protections are realistic, effective, and aligned with what children actually need. Children bring a unique perspective on emerging online harms, often becoming aware of them and experiencing them first hand before adults do.
The questions in this document relate to topics that may be upsetting or worrying for children. Before speaking to children about the questions included in this document, or any other questions, organisations engaging with children should ensure they have appropriate processes in place, including wellbeing, safeguarding and data protection processes. Organisations working with children should seek advice where they consider it appropriate to do so regarding any matters, including the appropriateness of the questions and their safeguarding processes. It is the responsibility of organisations working with children to ensure they meet their statutory obligations.
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