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If your platform lets users upload, search, share, or chat, this one is for you.
Ofcom has just launched nine new investigations into potential breaches of the Online Safety Act, marking its boldest enforcement move yet under the new Act. For startups and digital platforms operating in the UK, this is a wake-up call: The UK Communications regulator is seriously clamping down on compliance with online platform regulation especially when it comes to children.
We've broken down what’s happening, what’s at stake, and how to stay ahead.
So, who's in the hot seat?🕵️♀️
Why these platforms? Ofcom received reports of illegal content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and some of these services failed to respond to legally required statutory information requests.
This shows Ofcom’s spotlight is now firmly on enhancing online safety, particularly for children, by making social media and content sharing providers more responsible for their users' safety and even lesser-known sites aren’t flying under the radar.
Ofcom is examining whether these online services failed to meet key legal obligations under the Online Safety Act, including:
🔒 Putting safety measures in place to protect UK users from illegal content and activity
📋 Carrying out a sufficient illegal harms risk assessment and keeping a record of it
📮 Responding to Ofcom’s statutory information requests (a legal requirement)
🔞 For adult content platforms: implementing highly effective age assurance to protect children from pornographic material
This is all part of Ofcom’s growing toolkit under the Online Safety Act, a sweeping piece of UK law that came into force in October 2023. Regulated services had until 16th March 2025 to implement measures such as conducting an illegal harms risk assessment to protect users from illegal content and activity.
Providers of services likely to be accessed by UK children have until 24 July 2025 to finalise and record their assessment of the risk their service poses to children, which Ofcom may request.
Ofcom’s enforcement powers are serious business. Breaching digital safety regulations can lead to:
In short: if you're a tech company operating in the UK, especially one facilitating user-to-user interaction or file sharing, you need a handle on your compliance risk.
If your service includes user-to-user functionality, search features, upload tools, or any form of online content sharing, here’s your checklist:
✅ Complete and maintain a clear illegal harms risk assessment
✅ Put in place proportionate online safety measures to remove or block harmful content
✅ Prepare to respond to Ofcom's statutory requests if approached
✅ Use robust age verification especially for adult content, meeting Ofcom’s “highly effective” standard
Startups and scaleups might not have full-time legal teams but that doesn’t excuse non-compliance. The regulators won’t make exceptions for early-stage companies.
This isn’t just a crackdown on the big players. This wave of enforcement shows that online safety compliance applies to everyone. From global content platforms to UK file-sharing sites, online discussion boards, and search-based services.
It also means legal risks aren’t just about terms and conditions anymore, they’re embedded in your tech architecture, your user flows, and your moderation policies.
At Founders Law, we help tech companies and digital startups build compliance into their growth strategy so legal doesn’t slow innovation down.
If you're already running (or even thinking of launching) a platform that involves file sharing, online discussion boards, search features, or user-to-user interactions, get in touch. We’ll help you figure out what’s required under the Online Safety Act, navigate Ofcom’s enforcement landscape, and stay one step ahead without drowning in red tape.
Drop us a line: hello@founders-law.co.uk
