Ofcom has announced that it has written to Facebook, Instagram, Roblox, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube requiring them to enforce minimum-age rules and strengthen protections for children online, setting a deadline of 30 April 2026 for the companies to report on the action they will take. It is urging the companies to publish their responses and has stated that it will report in May 2026 on how they have responded, including any next regulatory steps. Ofcom states that popular sites and apps must implement highly effective age checks, tackle grooming risks, make recommendation feeds safer and rigorously test products before deployment.

Ofcom has announced a call for evidence to inform its phase three codes of practice and guidance on the additional duties that will apply to some of the most widely used online sites and apps under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023). Under the OSA 2023, providers of certain online services known as categorised services must comply with extra requirements if they fall into one of three categories -  ie Category 1, 2A or 2B. Extra duties for categorised services include providing users with more tools to control the content they will see, ensuring protections for news publisher and journalistic content, preventing fraudulent advertising, and generating transparency reports. Alongside the call for evidence, Ofcom also published its advice to the government on the category thresholds. A formal consultation on the draft codes and guidance is to follow in 2025.

Ofcom has announced the launch of an enforcement programme to monitor whether online platforms are preventing the spread of illegal non-consensual intimate images, including sexually explicit AI-generated deepfakes. By 30 September 2026, platforms should use hash-matching technology to detect and prevent such content from being shared or demonstrate that they use equally effective measures. Companies that fail to comply with their legal duties may face enforcement action, including fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue. Ofcom has also launched a call for evidence on platforms’ progress in addressing online harms affecting women and girls, including misogynistic abuse, sexual violence, harassment, privacy risks and the effectiveness of reporting and support tools. The call for evidence closes on 6 November 2026.

Ofcom has announced its enforcement programme initiative to monitor compliance with the illegal content risk assessment duties and record keeping duties under sections 9, 23, 26 and 34 of the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023). The initiative follows the publication of the Risk Assessment Guidance and Risk Profiles by Ofcom in December 2024 to assist providers in meeting these duties. The programme is expected to run for at least 12 months, during which Ofcom may open formal investigations for non-compliance.

Ofcom has announced new mobile roaming rules to protect customers following its 2023 consultation. The new rules will ensure UK mobile customers are protected against unexpected roaming charges when using their phone abroad and at home. The new rules include requirements for providers to send clear, comprehensible and accurate roaming and inadvertent alerts, both in the EU and the rest of the world. The new rules will come into force on 1 October 2024.

Ofcom has announced that nine websites hosting content harmful to children have implemented protective measures following engagement by its compliance teams. Two websites hosting graphic violence and serious injury content have implemented age-assurance measures to prevent children in the UK from accessing them. A further seven websites have blocked access for users in the UK, including five hosting graphic violence and serious injury content and two hosting suicide content. Ofcom states that it uses direct engagement alongside formal enforcement because this may prevent or address harm more quickly. In the first 18 months after the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) came into force, it investigated more than 100 platforms and imposed fines totalling more than £6 million on 10 providers.

Ofcom has announced that Comms Council UK (CCUK) has published guidance for UK communications providers on sharing data to help combat telecoms-enabled fraud. The guidance was produced by CCUK, the Home Office and Ofcom, with input from the Information Commissioner’s Office. The guidance is aimed at providers of all sizes and is designed to give them confidence to share data about fraud and scams lawfully with law enforcement, industry partners and fraud prevention organisations. It stresses that data protection law should not be treated as a default barrier—fraud prevention is usually a lawful reason to share information, with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, Data Protection Act 2018 and Data Use and Access Act 2025 providing the relevant legal framework. Providers are advised to: (1) share the minimum data necessary; (2) consider whether the purpose can be achieved with less identifiable data; (3) check accuracy; (4) distinguish facts from suspicions; (5) use established schemes where appropriate and (6) keep records of sharing decisions. The guidance also states the expectation on providers to be proactive in monitoring suspicious activity, carrying out customer due diligence, acting promptly where misuse is identified and correcting records where concerns later prove unfounded.

Ofcom has announced its decision to renew the Channel 4 licence for a period of ten years from 1 January 2025, ahead of its current licence expiry in December 2024. The new licence conditions require Channel 4 to provide no less than 208 hours of news in peak viewing time each calendar year, one new programme at intervals throughout the period for which Channel 4 is provided and one programme in the early evening each weekday and on Saturday and Sunday. The renewal of the licence comes following Ofcom's December 2023 and January 2024 consultations.

Ofcom has announced the appointment of Oliver Griffiths as its new group director for online safety. This strategic move comes as the UK's new online safety regime begins to take effect. Griffiths, formerly the Chief Executive of the Trade Remedies Authority, will be tasked with establishing and implementing regulations to hold tech firms accountable for user safety. His appointment aligns with Ofcom's expanded remit to include online content safety, as mandated by the Online Safety Act. This legislation places the onus on businesses to ensure online safety, particularly for children. Griffiths' experience in navigating complex international challenges is expected to be invaluable as Ofcom works to make the online ecosystem safer for users.

Ofcom has published a review of the BBC’s materiality assessment of proposed new streams on BBC Sounds. The BBC is proposing the launch of three new music streams on BBC Sounds between July and September 2024. These Sounds-only streams are extensions of three of its current music networks—BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3. There are also plans to commission some original programming for Radio 1 Dance, an existing stream on BBC Sounds. The BBC has highlighted that these three new music streams it is proposing to launch are not material changes, and the change to the existing Radio 1 Dance stream to be only an editorial/creative development of an existing stream that is also not a material change. Ofcom has conducted its review into whether the proposed streams are material changes, discussed its views on whether the streams are new UK Public Services, and whether the proposed streams may have a significant adverse impact on fair and effective competition. Ofcom has found that, in accordance with Clause 9(6) of the Broadcasting Agreement (the Agreement) and the relevant Specified Requirements, the BBC must stop carrying out the proposed change in respect of the Radio 2 extension Sounds-only stream. Should the BBC wish to continue to launch the Radio 2 extension Sounds-only stream, the BBC shall conduct a public interest test on the proposed change in respect of the Radio 2 extension Sounds-only stream in accordance with Clause 8 of the Agreement.

Ofcom has formally taken over the regulation of premium-rate services (PRS) from the Phone-Paid Services Authority (PSA). The transition follows a period of collaboration between the two bodies to ensure a smooth handover. Ofcom has introduced new rules under the Communications Act, maintaining similar consumer protection standards, organisational requirements, and other obligations. The regulator emphasises that there will be minimal changes for consumers under the new regulatory framework, which covers various phone-paid services including charity donations, broadcast competitions, and in-app purchases.

Ofcom announced on 17 March 2025 that online platforms must now implement measures to tackle illegal content following the deadline for illegal harms risk assessments. Ofcom launched an enforcement programme targeting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on file-sharing services, with powers to issue fines up to 10% of turnover or £18m. The regulator requires platforms to use automated moderation technology, including perceptual hash-matching, to detect and remove CSAM. This represents the third enforcement programme under the Online Safety Act 2023 since January 2025.