Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 16 NOVEMBER 2023

Online Safety Act - An Overview

Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Contributor
Burges Salmon LLP

Burges Salmon LLP

Burges Salmon is an ambitious, sustainable and inclusive firm that ensures its clients, people and...

View firm profile
Explore more from Burges Salmon LLP

The Online Safety Act achieved Royal Assent on 26 October. In this article, we set out the timeline and key provisions within the Act, as well as the enforcement powers of OFCOM...

United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
David Varney
David Varney

The Online Safety Act achieved Royal Assent on 26 October. In this article, we set out the timeline and key provisions within the Act, as well as the enforcement powers of OFCOM

The Online Safety Act (OSA) is the UK's comprehensive legislation intended to ensure the safety of online users. It places specific obligations upon various online service providers to this end. The OSA received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023, following a number of revisions. The majority of its provisions are expected to come into effect within the next two months.

The OSA has five objectives:

  1. to increase user safety online.
  2. to preserve and enhance freedom of speech.
  3. to improve law enforcement agencies' ability to tackle illegal content online.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

The EU Kids Act: Not Just A Social Media Ban, And Not Just An EU Problem

The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, a comprehensive regulation that extends far beyond a simple social media ban for under-13s. This ambitious framework introduces tiered age-based restrictions, safety-by-design obligations across digital services including AI chatbots and online games, and mandatory certified age-verification systems. With potential fines reaching 6% of global turnover and enforcement mechanisms piggybacking on existing DSA machinery, organisations offering digital servic
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

EU Kids Act: What Do The Planned Age Restrictions And Safety Requirements For Minors Online Mean For Providers?

The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, introducing comprehensive restrictions on minors' access to social media and video-sharing platforms while imposing extensive online safety requirements across digital services. This landmark legislation will require businesses to implement safety-by-design frameworks, age verification systems, and guardian controls, with particularly stringent compliance obligations for Very Large Online Platforms that must prove their services are safe through independ
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Winston Taylor
Winston Taylor
Article

Evolution Delivered: What Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 Means For EU261 Reform

The European Union has enacted its most comprehensive overhaul of passenger rights legislation in over twenty years, introducing significant operational changes for airlines while maintaining the core architecture of the existing compensation framework. With implementation required by October 2027, carriers face expanded obligations around automatic reimbursements, rerouting rights, and assistance provisions, alongside new clarity on extraordinary circumstances and claims procedures.
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

Advertising In ChatGPT: What Retailers Need To Know

OpenAI's integration of advertisements into ChatGPT marks a significant shift in how retailers can reach consumers through conversational AI. As this emerging channel offers contextual relevance at moments of genuine purchasing intent, retailers must navigate complex advertising regulations, data protection requirements, and sector-specific rules to ensure compliance while capitalizing on this novel marketing opportunity.
United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Browne Jacobson LLP
Browne Jacobson LLP
Article

AI And In-house Legal Practice: Professional Judgement Cannot Be Automated

Generative AI offers genuine opportunities for in-house legal teams, but it also creates distinct professional risks that require careful management. Recent regulatory guidance from the Law Society and SRA warning notices highlight critical concerns around AI-generated legal work, from fabricated case citations to confidential data exposure. How should in-house lawyers balance AI efficiency gains against their professional duties and regulatory obligations?
United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Farrer & Co
Farrer & Co
Article

EU KIDS Act: Europe's Plan To Strengthen Child Online Safety

The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, a comprehensive regulatory framework establishing a minimum age of 15 for social media access and mandating safety-by-design principles for digital services accessible to minors. This analysis explores how the Act's four pillars compare with the UK's Online Safety Act, examines its relationship with existing EU digital regulations including the DSA and upcoming Digital Fairness Act, and outlines the practical compliance implications for platforms operati
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
TLT
TLT
Article

Ten AI Giants, One Regulator And A Lesson For Everyone Else: What The ICO’s Foundation Model Report Really Tells Us

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has completed its supervision of major AI foundation model developers, revealing significant gaps in data protection practices and setting new expectations for legitimate interests assessments, transparency, and special category data handling. The regulator has now turned its attention to agentic AI systems, warning that autonomy is not an excuse for poor compliance and launching a call for evidence that will shape future regulatory guidance.
United KingdomPrivacy
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

The EU Kids Act: Not Just A Social Media Ban, And Not Just An EU Problem

The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, a comprehensive regulation that extends far beyond a simple social media ban for under-13s. This ambitious framework introduces tiered age-based restrictions, safety-by-design obligations across digital services including AI chatbots and online games, and mandatory certified age-verification systems. With potential fines reaching 6% of global turnover and enforcement mechanisms piggybacking on existing DSA machinery, organisations offering digital servic
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

Evolution Delivered: What Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 Means For EU261 Reform

The European Union has enacted its most comprehensive overhaul of passenger rights legislation in over twenty years, introducing significant operational changes for airlines while maintaining the core architecture of the existing compensation framework. With implementation required by October 2027, carriers face expanded obligations around automatic reimbursements, rerouting rights, and assistance provisions, alongside new clarity on extraordinary circumstances and claims procedures.
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

Crypto, Front Companies And Sanctions Evasion: The NCA’s $5.2 Million Forfeiture

The National Crime Agency has secured the forfeiture of over $5.2 million from an agricultural trading company following a civil recovery investigation into suspected money laundering and sanctions evasion. The case involved complex international fund flows through multiple jurisdictions, cryptocurrency conversion, and alleged connections to entities later designated under US sanctions for facilitating illicit Iranian oil sales.
United KingdomCriminal Law
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

ICO Consults On Draft Guidance On Anonymisation And Pseudonymisation For Research

The Information Commissioner's Office has launched a consultation on draft guidance addressing anonymisation and pseudonymisation for research, archiving and statistical purposes. This guidance provides critical insight into how organisations should apply data minimisation principles in modern research practices, including AI development, trusted research environments, and synthetic data generation.
United KingdomPrivacy
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

Regulating AI In Healthcare: National Commission Sets Out UK Framework

The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare has published comprehensive recommendations that are expected to shape the future regulatory framework for AI technologies in UK healthcare. These recommendations address the safe adoption of AI across diagnostics, medical research, and clinical decision-making while establishing safeguards to maintain public confidence. The report introduces a lifecycle approach to regulation, emphasizing ongoing monitoring rather than just initial approval, a
United KingdomFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

When A Chatbot Becomes A Search Engine: Lessons From The Commission’s Latest DSA Designations

The European Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, marking the first time a generative AI assistant has been classified this way. This designation, alongside Reddit and Roblox being named as Very Large Online Platforms, introduces systemic risk assessment obligations, independent audits, and advertising transparency requirements that most AI products have not previously faced. What does this mean for other AI assistants with web-search capabil
BelgiumTechnology
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

Broad Changes To MHRA Proposed Under UK Health Bill

The UK Government has introduced sweeping reforms to the regulatory framework governing medicines and medical devices through amendments to the Health Bill currently progressing through Parliament. These proposed changes would grant the Secretary of State new powers to establish a licensing regime for medical devices and enable faster regulatory updates in response to scientific and technological advances.
United KingdomFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

A Consumer Duty Focus On Supervision And Enforcement – What Changes Now That The Consumer Duty Has Teeth?

The FCA has ended its grace period for Consumer Duty compliance and is now actively using supervisory and enforcement powers to ensure firms deliver good consumer outcomes. With 11 open investigations spanning insurance, pensions, wealth management, and other sectors, plus 382 supervisory interventions in the last financial year, regulators are scrutinizing whether firms have truly embedded Consumer Duty frameworks into their operations. Fair value assessments, vulnerability support, and outcomes monitoring
United KingdomFinance and Banking
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP
Article

Goodbye To TECH 02/17BL: A New Solvency Based Regime For Dividends?

The UK government has proposed a fundamental shift from complex distributable profits calculations to a streamlined solvency-based regime for determining dividend legality. This consultation explores how companies would simply need to demonstrate that dividend payments won't affect their ability to continue as a going concern, potentially replacing decades of intricate accounting guidance with a more practical approach.
United KingdomCorporate/Commercial Law
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP