UK Online Safety Act: Mandatory Rules Begin July 25, 2025

UK's Online Safety Act: Stricter Child Protection Measures Mandatory from July 25, 2025

London, UK - A critical phase of the UK's landmark Online Safety Act is set to come into force on July 25, 2025, ushering in a new era of accountability for online platforms, with a particular focus on protecting children from harmful content. Services deemed likely to be accessed by minors will face legally binding obligations to have robust safety measures operational by this date.

The Online Safety Act, which received Royal Assent in October 2023, aims to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. It imposes a broad range of duties on providers of user-to-user services (such as social media), search engines, and platforms that publish or display pornography. Notably, the Act's reach extends to companies based outside the UK if their services are accessible to or target UK users.

While some provisions of the Act, particularly those relating to illegal content, came into effect in March 2025, the upcoming July deadline specifically targets the safety of children online.

Key Requirements Effective July 2025:

Under the phased implementation timeline overseen by the UK's communications regulator, Ofcom:

• Children's Risk Assessments: Services identified as likely to be accessed by children were required to complete children's access assessments by April 16, 2025. Following this, they must finalize comprehensive children's risk assessments by July 24, 2025. These assessments will identify and evaluate the risks of harm children may encounter while using their platforms.
• Operational Safety Measures: From July 25, 2025, these services must have implemented and made operational concrete safety measures designed to protect children. These measures must align with Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes of Practice, which were updated in April 2025, or be demonstrably as effective as those outlined in the official codes. Parliamentary approval of these codes is a preceding step to this enforcement.
• Focus on Harmful Content: The safety measures are expected to address a wide range of content considered harmful to children, including exposure to pornography, content promoting self-harm or suicide, bullying, and other age-inappropriate material. This will likely involve stronger age verification processes, content filtering options, and robust reporting and takedown mechanisms.

Ofcom's Enforcement Powers and Penalties:

Ofcom is equipped with significant enforcement powers to ensure compliance with the Online Safety Act. Companies failing to meet their obligations face severe penalties, including:

• Substantial Fines: Fines can reach up to £18 million or 10% of their global annual turnover, whichever is higher.
• Service Disruption: In serious cases of non-compliance, Ofcom can seek court orders to block access to offending services in the UK.
• Criminal Liability for Senior Managers: Senior managers could face criminal charges if they fail to ensure their organization complies with Ofcom's information requests or if they provide false information.

Industry on Notice:

The July 2025 deadline marks a crucial milestone in the rollout of the Online Safety Act. Online platforms that fall within the scope of the child safety duties have been urged to proactively implement the necessary changes to their services and internal processes. This includes not only technological solutions but also ensuring that their terms of service and community guidelines clearly reflect the new legal requirements.

The UK government and Ofcom have emphasized their commitment to creating a safer online environment, particularly for younger users. The coming months will be critical for companies to demonstrate their adherence to these new, more stringent regulations, with the July 25, 2025, deadline serving as a key date for mandatory compliance with enhanced child safety measures.