This practical guide explains the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 and its requirements for online service providers, including social media platforms, search engines, and pornography publishers. It provides clear guidance on legal obligations, risk assessments, safeguarding children, age assurance, content moderation, reporting, exemptions, and enforcement by Ofcom. The guide also includes a checklist for compliance and outlines how staff training and governance processes can support regulatory readiness.
What’s in the guide
- Overview of the Online Safety Act and its phased implementation (2024–2025)
- Key duties for in-scope services: illegal content, child protection, age assurance, transparency, and user controls
- Guidance on exemptions and limited functionality services
- Enforcement, penalties, and Ofcom powers including fines, remedial action, and senior manager liability
- Practical checklist for organisations and professionals to comply with the Act
- Training recommendations and operational readiness for staff involved in moderation, governance, safeguarding, and complaints handling
- How VinciWorks can support compliance and online safety training in education and other sectors
