Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has published its first formal enforcement notices under the Online Safety Act 2023, marking the first use of its new enforcement powers against major online platforms. The notices — addressed to two large social media services — require the platforms to take specific steps within 30 days to: (1) remove identified categories of illegal content (including content related to child sexual exploitation and terrorism); (2) implement technical measures to prevent the recommending of harmful content to child users; and (3) provide Ofcom with an audit of their systems for detecting and removing illegal content.
Powers and penalties: Under the Online Safety Act 2023, Ofcom can issue enforcement notices, require information, and — if a platform fails to comply — impose financial penalties of up to £18 million or 10% of the platform's global annual qualifying revenue, whichever is higher. In the most serious cases (non-compliance putting people at risk of death or serious injury, or persistent failures), Ofcom can apply to court for a business disruption order that could prevent UK users from accessing the platform.
What this means for users: The Online Safety Act gives users new rights against platforms, including: the right to report content and have reports dealt with promptly; access to a complaints process; and, for certain regulated services, a right to opt out of content recommendation algorithms. If a platform fails to comply with these rights, users can complain to Ofcom. Ofcom has published a user guide to the Online Safety Act explaining how to make a complaint.
Age verification: The Act requires platforms to verify the age of users to prevent children accessing pornographic or harmful content. Ofcom's age verification guidance was published in December 2026 and platforms must comply by July 2027. Failure to implement compliant age verification systems within the deadline will trigger enforcement action. See the data rights article for related online rights.