Ofcom publishes first Online Safety Act compliance report for 2025
Ofcom has published its first report on online safety compliance since the Online Safety Act 2023 came into force in 2025, with illegal harms duties effective from March and children's protection duties from July. The report shows that age assurance measures were implemented by major platforms including the top 10 pornography sites by the 25 July deadline, resulting in a one-third reduction in UK visitors to pornography sites. Ofcom has launched enforcement investigations into over 80 pornography websites for non-compliance and imposed penalties including £1m on a provider of multiple adult sites and £50,000 on a nudification app. The regulator reviewed 104 risk assessment records from service providers, challenging 11 providers to revise their assessments and taking enforcement action against two providers for failing to respond to information requests. For 2026, Ofcom expects service providers to submit updated risk assessment records between 1 May and 31 July, implement more effective age checks, strengthen child protections on major platforms, and improve removal of terrorist and illegal hate content. The report identifies six priority areas requiring industry focus including making age checks more effective, preventing child sexual abuse and grooming, and creating safer experiences for women and girls.