Learn about the measures for tech firms and the impact this will have for children in the UK.
Ofcom has finalised over 40 measures for sites and apps that are used by UK children that providers must meet from July. These measures mean tech firms will have to act and take responsibility for protecting children from harmful content online, including: suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, pornography, misogyny, violence, online bullying, dangerous challenges and hateful or abusive material.
Why is this so important?
The ‘safety-first’ approach in the Codes of Practice requires companies with online services accessed by UK children to complete a risk assessment and implement actions to mitigate risks of harm, using the measures in the Code of Practice to do so. Ofcom can request a copy of company’s risk assessment and can impose fines and even apply for a court order to prevent the service being available in the UK, if a provider fails to comply with the new child safety measures. 1
In Ofcom’s summary they shared some statistics about the harmful content children are experiencing, to give insights into why these further measures are so needed, including:
- 59% of children reported encountering potentially harmful online content in a four-week period
- The average age of children who saw pornography was 13
- 31% of 8-12 -year-olds that go online have seen something they found worrying or nasty
- In the last month, 30% – 70% of 13-17-year-olds had harmful content in their ‘for you’ feed 1
What kind of measures do companies need to meet?
Online services were asked in April 204 to assess if children are likely to access their service or part of their service. The providers who identified this was possible are now required to complete a risk assessment (by 24th July 2025), considering children in different age groups. Ofcom has guidance that companies can use to help them complete this, such as Children’s Risk Profiles and Guidance on Content Harmful to Children.
Following this risk assessment, companies must take action to mitigate risks of harm and must meet the safety measures outlined in The Protection of Children Codes including:
- Robust age checks – this should be highly effective and services with a minimum age requirement should still assume younger children use their service and take measures to protect them.
- Safer algorithms – algorithms should be configured to ensure children aren’t being presented with the most harmful content and protect them from other harmful content.
- Effective moderation – services should have systems in place to monitor and take swift action against harmful content.
- User reporting and complaints – processes for this should be easily accessible and transparent, and appropriate action should be taken when content is reported.
- Terms of service – these need to be in clear and easy for children to understand.
- More choice and support for children – supportive information should be available for children who may be exposed to harmful content, safety settings should be the default and children should have the choice to accept or decline group invitation invites that could expose them to harmful content.
- Stronger Governance – every provider should have a named person who is accountable specifically for children’s safety, they should also carry out an annual review of risk management activities and have an employee code of conduct. 2
While Ofcom explains that services can meet their obligations in different ways, it is clear that all services must meet the measures no matter how small the provider.
References
- Ofcom (2025) ‘New rules for a safer generation of children online’. Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/new-rules-for-a-safer-generation-of-children-online (Accessed: 24 April 2025)
- Ofcom (2025) ‘Protecting children from harms online: A summary of our decisions’. Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-1-10-weeks/statement-protecting-children-from-harms-online/main-document/a-summary-of-our-decisions.pdf?v=395490 (Accessed: 24 April 2025)
