REGULATORY · COMPETITIVE · UK
Ofcom imposes Online Safety Act child-safety rules
Change
Ofcom added new rules to the Online Safety Act in 2025 requiring tech firms to strengthen child-safety protections.
Why it matters
Ofcom added new rules to the Online Safety Act in 2025 that require tech firms to strengthen protections for children online. The obligation applies to online services and creates a regulatory duty to enhance child-safety measures. The rules do not currently cover device-level age checks. Ofcom says it worked closely with Apple and other services to ensure the rules can be applied in a variety of contexts.
Implications
- · Adds a compliance obligation for affected operators
- · Device and platform operators implementing age checks must operate verification and automated web-content filtering mechanisms to enforce access restrictions.
- · Apple will prompt iPhone and iPad users in the UK who install iOS 26.4 to verify age using a credit card or ID scan, and unverified or underage users will have web content filters applied automatically.
Who is affected
- · Manufacturers
What to watch
- · 2025 enactment of Ofcom Online Safety Act rules
Source
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Law & Public Safety Compliance Technology & Innovation Big Tech