Statement published 6 October 2021
Ofcom has been given new powers to regulate UK-established video-sharing platforms (VSPs). VSP regulation sets out to protect users of VSPs from specific types of harmful material in videos. This includes protecting under-18s from potentially harmful material and all users from material inciting violence or hatred, and content constituting criminal offences relating to terrorism; child sexual abuse material; and racism and xenophobia. VSPs are also required to ensure certain standards around advertising are met.
The statutory framework sets out a list of measures which providers must consider taking, as appropriate, to secure the required protections. These new requirements came into force on 1 November 2020.
Ofcom consulted on draft guidance for VSP providers on the regulatory requirements between 24 March 2021 and 2 June 2021. This covered the measures set out in the statutory framework and how these might be implemented.
We have published our final guidance alongside this statement.
Main documents
Supporting documents
Video-sharing platform usage and experience of harms survey – data tables (A) (CSV, 16.1 MB)
Video-sharing platform usage and experience of harms survey – data tables (A) (XLSX, 52.3 MB)
Video-sharing platform usage and experience of harms survey – data tables (B) (CSV, 11.2 MB)
Video-sharing platform usage and experience of harms survey – data tables (B) (XLSX, 28.7 MB)
Video-sharing platform usage and experience of harms survey (PDF, 3.9 MB)
Safety measures on video-sharing platforms survey 2021 – data tables (CSV, 1.4 MB)
Safety measures on video-sharing platforms survey 2021 – Data tables (XLSX, 2.6 MB)
Safety measures on video-sharing platforms survey 2021 (quantitative) (PDF, 719.4 KB)
Safety measures on video-sharing platforms survey 2021 (qualitative) (PDF, 354.4 KB)
Content Creators and community standards (PDF, 2.0 MB)
Alerts and rating systems on video-sharing platforms – data tables (CSV, 862.2 KB)
Alerts and rating systems on video-sharing platforms – data tables (XLSX, 1.6 MB)