Online safety

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Online Safety Act compliance guide for providers of online services

In this section

Illegal and harmful content

Online services must protect their users from illegal and harmful content, including child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Online abuse

Online abuse has no place in our society. We expect tech companies to be open about the steps they're taking to protect users.

Online fraud

We explore people's experiences of encountering, or falling victim to online scams and fraud.

Online pornography

If your online service hosts or publishes pornographic content, you are legally required to comply with specific obligations outlined in the UK's Online Safety Act 2023. This section includes comprehensive guidance on these rules, ensuring the safety of all users, especially children.

Protecting children

Our research into children's experiences of harm online, and what services can do to protect them.

Safety technology

We explore different technologies that are important or relevant to online safety, as well as how the public experience them day to day.

Advice for consumers

Younger phone owners, the rise of AI, and consumption over creation – our latest look at UK children’s media lives

We’ve published our latest research into how children spend their time online and interact with different forms of media.

AI chatbots and online regulation – what you need to know

AI chatbots have been in the news a lot recently. They are a new and increasingly prevalent tool that some people use for work, study, research, entertainment or simply for conversation.

New tech? No problem: Help to keep your kids safe online at Christmas

Giving the kids tech for Christmas? This explainer helps you navigate getting them online and keeping them safe from inappropriate content

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Information for industry

Extreme pornography – a reminder of providers' duties

A reminder to pornography services about their duties to tackle Extreme Pornography under the Online Safety Act, in response to allegations of "sleep content" being available to UK users.

Update: tech firms’ responses to our call for action to protect children

An update on tech firms’ responses to our call for action to protect children

Statement: Detecting intimate image abuse

This statement sets out our decision to recommend that certain service providers should use ‘hash matching’ technology to detect intimate image abuse and reduce its spread online.

Find more information

Research, statistics and data

Younger phone owners, the rise of AI, and consumption over creation – our latest look at UK children’s media lives

We’ve published our latest research into how children spend their time online and interact with different forms of media.

Experiences of Age Assurance, Use of VPNs, and attitudes to the Protection of Children Measures

A dedicated page compiling data on experiences of age assurance, VPN use, and attitudes towards Protection of Children measures.

Children's online experiences research report

This report brings together findings from our comprehensive research programme to understand how children experience the online world, including their use of services and exposure to harmful content before and after new children’s safety duties came into force.

Research, statistics and data