Online safety

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Subtopics under Online Safety

130 pages on Protecting children (i) 159 pages on Illegal and harmful content (i)

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Protecting children

Our research into children's experiences of harm online, and what services can do to protect them.

Illegal and harmful content

Online services must protect their users from illegal and harmful content, including child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Online abuse

Online abuse has no place in our society. We expect tech companies to be open about the steps they're taking to protect users.

Online pornography

If your online service hosts or publishes pornographic content, you are legally required to comply with specific obligations outlined in the UK's Online Safety Act 2023. This section includes comprehensive guidance on these rules, ensuring the safety of all users, especially children.

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Advice for consumers

Age checks for online safety – what you need to know as a user

As of 25 July 2025, all sites and apps that allow pornography will need to have strong age checks in place, to make sure children can’t access that or other harmful content.

Help for telecoms customers suffering abuse, harassment or violence

If you, or someone you know, are suffering domestic abuse, harassment or violence, it’s important to think about the security and accessibility of your telecoms services and the costs relating to them.

Online safety rules: what you need to know

Ofcom is the regulator for online safety in the UK. Our job is to make sure that online services protect their users.

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Information for industry

Online safety regulatory documents and guidance

Latest versions of Ofcom’s online safety regulatory documents and guidance, as well as links to previous, superseded versions.

The Online Safety Act and gaming: know the risks, the rules, and how to comply

Guidance for the gaming industry on how the Online Safety Act applies to these services, the risks gaming could present to users, and what to do to comply with the rules.

Online safety industry bulletin - September 2025

This is the third edition of Ofcom’s online safety industry bulletin and the first since new rules came into force to protect children online in the UK. In that time, Ofcom has seen change across industry, with many websites and apps putting in place age checks, alongside other new measures.

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