Introduced to address growing concerns about the safety of internet users – particularly children and vulnerable groups, the Online Safety Act (OSA) marks a major change in the regulatory landscape for businesses using online platforms in the UK.
Passed in October 2023 and gradually implemented, it introduced a range of new obligations, setting strict requirements for transparency, age verification and content moderation to create a safer online environment.
Under the Act, online businesses must now ensure transparency by regularly publishing their security measures and reporting their efforts to regulators. This means not only creating new policies where needed, but also providing evidence that these policies effectively reduce the risks associated with harmful content. The law places special emphasis on platforms accessed by children, which require additional protections and age-appropriate design features.
In order to comply with these new rules, digital platforms will have to implement strict risk mitigation policies and be licensed to work with Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. Ofcom will oversee the implementation of the Act and enforce penalties for those who do not comply. In order to comply, businesses must maintain detailed compliance records by continually reviewing and improving their security measures to keep pace with evolving risks.
Validation of Working Age and Child Protection
One of OSA’s most important priorities is to focus on protecting children and young people when they go online. By 2025, online platforms accessible to children will be required to use age testing to accurately determine whether users are children or not.
Ofcom will publish final guidance in early 2025, however, for now it is clear that basic or outdated age verification systems – such as ‘yes/no’ checkboxes or self-explanatory ages – will not be sufficient, and age is more effective. verification measures must be implemented. A new technology that verifies the age of users while protecting their privacy is not a dream; available and ready to ship.
Platforms will also be expected to incorporate age-appropriate design features that reduce the risk of children encountering harmful content. This means filtering out transparent content, protecting personal data, and setting limits on interactions with adults, all while maintaining a user-friendly experience. For example, social networks will need to evaluate how they handle conversations, manage social interactions, and regulate the visibility of certain types of content.
The Need for Content Moderation and Transparency
Promoting effective content moderation is another important element of the Internet Safety Act. Businesses are responsible for using systems to moderate harmful content – including hate speech, violence, and inappropriate content that could harm users, especially minors. To achieve this, platforms must take more proactive measures to prevent harmful content from being uploaded or spread before it reaches their users. Efforts to measure content should also be transparent, with businesses writing and publishing their policies, any actions taken, and their results.
The law is designed to hold platforms accountable, not just for the security measures they take, but for how well the measures work in practice. Companies that fail to demonstrate strict content moderation can face legal consequences or fines from UK regulator Ofcom.
Technologies to Make the Internet Safer
Security technology solution providers have been continuously innovating and developing solutions to keep up with the ever-changing and challenging Internet environment. In the age verification space, technological advances and the introduction of AI-driven techniques have meant that security technology providers can now offer highly accurate, privacy-preserving age verification methods that protect users’ privacy, reduce friction, and ensure constant compliance. -changing rules.
While some methods require user interaction, such as uploading a photo of an ID document or taking a short selfie video, other methods use existing user data. This data, such as an email address, may be collected typically as part of the account creation process or during the payment process in online marketplaces, and may be entered in the background without additional user interaction required. Email address age estimation can accurately determine a user’s age without requiring sensitive personal information, allowing businesses to maintain compliance while protecting user privacy.
Within content moderation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play an important role in helping platforms maintain an even safer environment. Technology can be used alongside human moderators to add an extra layer of support and resilience, quickly removing dangerous elements from the scale.
UK Business Opportunity
For UK businesses, OSA is not just another policy to follow but a very important opportunity to make the internet safer. By taking better security measures and making transparency a priority, businesses can build trust with their users and demonstrate a commitment to protecting children when they go online.
Businesses that proactively implement and implement effective age verification and content moderation will benefit from the ability to avoid regulatory penalties and quickly adapt to future regulatory changes. Given the fast-paced nature of the Internet, companies that can stay ahead of regulatory requirements now will be better positioned to improve and grow in the years to come.
As a new law, OSA naturally requires businesses to change the way they operate, which may seem challenging at first. However, by staying up-to-date on regulatory changes, using the latest technology, and using it effectively, businesses can position themselves to become a trusted voice in their community and ultimately better protect children and youth online.
