Video-sharing platform users' experiences and attitudes

28 November 2023

Ofcom has commissioned research to understand people's experiences of using, and attitudes towards safety measures on video-sharing platforms (VSP).

We explored a range of users' perspectives, from parents and carers to users of platforms that host pornographic content. The findings will inform how we regulate VSPs, including our rules on the protection of children and our engagement with notified providers.

We have published this research alongside our first report on video-sharing platforms since becoming the statutory regulator for platforms established in the UK.

Please note that the concerns and measures discussed in these reports go beyond the scope of the harm and measures in VSP legislation. The research includes platforms that are not currently regulated by Ofcom under the VSP regime, but they still provide important context for understanding the VSP landscape. All views expressed in these reports are those of the research participants, not Ofcom.

VSP trackers

This qualitative online survey examines users’ awareness of, and experiences of using the safety measures available on platforms. The research was carried out by Yonder Consulting on behalf of Ofcom, using a sample of UK internet users aged 13-84.

We have published data from four waves of the research; the first collected in October 2021, the second in April 2022, the third in January 2023 and the fourth, and most recent, in June 2023.