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    UK Online Safety Act 2023: child-safety duties and age checks

    Also known as Online Safety Act, OSA, Online Safety Act 2023

    The Online Safety Act 2023 is the UK law that makes online platforms responsible for protecting users, and especially children, from illegal and harmful content, with Ofcom as regulator.[1][2] Its child-safety duties became fully enforceable on 25 July 2025, requiring "highly effective age assurance" for pornography and content encouraging self-harm, suicide or eating disorders.[3]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated WikiSocial welfare, Tech policy, Big Tech
    Key facts

    The Online Safety Act 2023 is the main UK law regulating harmful content on online platforms. It passed into law on 26 October 2023, and Ofcom implements it.[1] This page covers the provisions that protect children. For the wider debate, including US bills, see online child safety laws. This page is not legal advice. In the UK, adults worried about a child can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, and children can call Childline on 0800 1111.[4]

    What the child-safety duties require

    The Act sorts harmful content for children into two tiers. Children must be prevented from accessing “primary priority content”: pornography, and content that encourages, promotes or gives instructions for self-harm, eating disorders or suicide.[2] Children must get only age-appropriate access to “priority content”, such as bullying, abusive or hateful content, serious violence and dangerous stunts or challenges.[2] Platforms must also make sure their algorithms do not feed children content that promotes harmful behaviour.[5]

    How it came into force

    Ofcom’s protection of children codes of practice were laid in Parliament on 24 April 2025. Services likely to be accessed by children had until 24 July 2025 to complete a children’s risk assessment.[6] From 25 July 2025 the protections were fully enforceable. Covered sites must use “highly effective age assurance”, such as facial age estimation, photo-ID matching or credit card checks.[3] The government said a thousand platforms had confirmed to Ofcom that their checks were in place.[7]

    Enforcement

    Ofcom can fine companies up to £18 million or 10% of their qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.[8] Enforcement action under the child-safety duties became possible from 25 July 2025.[3]

    Planned under-16 restrictions

    In a June 2026 progress statement, the government said it would ban social media companies from offering services to under-16s. It cited a consultation in which about 9 in 10 parents backed a ban.[9] It also plans to restrict features such as livestreaming and contact from strangers on more services, including gaming platforms.[10] It says it will follow the Australian model, covering platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.[11] The government intends to lay the first regulations before Parliament by the end of 2026. They need approval from both Houses.[12]

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    Questions readers ask

    What does the Online Safety Act require to protect children?

    Services likely to be accessed by children must prevent them from accessing primary priority content (pornography and content encouraging self-harm, eating disorders or suicide) and give age-appropriate access to priority content such as bullying, abusive or hateful content and dangerous challenges.[2]

    When did age checks start under the Online Safety Act?

    The child-safety duties became fully enforceable on 25 July 2025. Sites with pornography or content encouraging self-harm, suicide or eating disorders must use highly effective age assurance, such as facial age estimation, photo-ID matching or credit card checks.[3]

    What are the penalties under the Online Safety Act?

    Ofcom can fine companies up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.[8]

    Will the UK ban social media for under-16s?

    In June 2026 the government said it will ban social media companies from offering services to under-16s, using Online Safety Act regulations. It intends to lay the first regulations by the end of 2026, subject to approval by both Houses of Parliament.[9][12]

    Sources

    · 12 claims from 2 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      The UK Online Safety Act became law on 26 October 2023, with Ofcom as the regulator implementing it. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    2. [2]

      The Online Safety Act requires services likely to be accessed by children to prevent them accessing "primary priority content" (pornography and content encouraging self-harm, eating disorders or suicide) and to give age-appropriate access to "priority content" such as bullying, abusive or hateful content and dangerous challenges. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    3. [3]

      From 25 July 2025 the Online Safety Act's child protections became fully enforceable, requiring sites with pornography or content encouraging self-harm, suicide or eating disorders to use "highly effective age assurance" such as facial age estimation, photo-ID matching or credit card checks. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    4. [4]

      GOV.UK directs adults worried about a child to the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 and children and young people to Childline on 0800 1111, and says to call 999 if a child is at immediate risk. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    5. [5]

      The UK government said the July 2025 rules require platforms to make sure their algorithms are not feeding children content that promotes harmful behaviour such as bullying, hate speech or dangerous challenges. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    6. [6]

      Ofcom's protection of children codes were laid in Parliament on 24 April 2025, and services likely to be accessed by children had until 24 July 2025 to complete a children's risk assessment. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    7. [7]

      When the child safety duties took effect, the UK government said a thousand platforms had confirmed to Ofcom that they had age checks in place. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    8. [8]

      Under the Online Safety Act, companies can be fined up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    9. [9]

      In a June 2026 progress statement, the UK government said it would ban social media companies from offering their services to under-16s, citing a consultation in which about 9 in 10 parents favoured a ban. confirmedas of 2026-08-19

    10. [10]

      The same statement said the UK would restrict some features, including livestreaming and stranger communication, on a wider range of services including gaming platforms, and would require effective age assurance. confirmedas of 2026-08-19

    11. [11]

      The UK government said it would aim to use the same model as Australia, covering platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. confirmedas of 2026-08-19

    12. [12]

      The UK government said it intends to lay the first regulations on age restrictions for social media services before Parliament by the end of 2026, and they must be approved by both Houses. reportedas of 2026-08-19· forecast

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Dec 31, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "UK Online Safety Act 2023: child-safety duties and age checks." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/uk-online-safety-act

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