The UK’s Online Safety Bill: Ofcom’s updated roadmap to regulation – ready and raring to go?

As the UK’s long-awaited flagship online safety legislation makes its way through the final stages of the parliamentary process, Ofcom has provided an update on its next steps for how it is preparing to regulate online safety.

As predicted, the timeline which Ofcom first set out in July 2022 in its roadmap has been significantly delayed – with the Online Safety Bill now being expected to receive Royal Assent in Autumn 2023 (rather than early 2023 as initially anticipated). The Bill has now completed the Committee Stage in the House of Lords and is currently progressing through the Report Stage, with its fourth sitting due to take place on 17 July 2023.

Once Ofcom’s powers commence as it takes on its new role as regulator, it intends to publish three phases of consultations (which we’ve set out in more detail in our timeline below):

• Phase one: Illegal harms duties
• Phase two: Child safety and pornography duties
• Phase three: Transparency, user empowerment, and other duties on categorised platforms

Despite the delays to date, it is clear Ofcom has not sat still (see more in our post “Ofcom motors ahead on online safety”). Instead, it expects to be ready to publish consultations on draft codes of practice for illegal harms as soon as it receives its powers after Royal Assent – rather than within the first 100 days – and potentially within a matter of days.

In addition, Ofcom has already published its third call for evidence on categorisation thresholds this week, with responses due on 12 September 2023. Alongside this, it has also published its research on “nudges” and their effect on potentially harmful content, as well as commissioned research on recommender systems in relation to illegal and harmful content.

Platforms will, of course, welcome further clarity of Ofcom’s timing and should use it to continue to prepare to meet Ofcom’s deadlines and comply with their new duties. 

We've translated Ofcom's updated roadmap into the following timeline: