Oct. 17, 2024
Britain's Ofcom warned tech companies that starting in December they could face significant fines if they fail to comply with a new online safety law. File Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE
Oct. 17 (UPI) -- In a progress update Thursday Britain's independent communications regulator Ofcom warned tech companies that starting in December they could face enforcement action, including significant fines, as new online safety laws take effect.
"The time for talk is over," Ofcom Chief Executive Melanie Dawes said in a statement. "From December, tech firms will be legally required to start taking action, meaning 2025 will be a pivotal year in creating a safer life online."
Ofcom said Thursday the new law empowers enforcement actions "including imposing significant fines where appropriate."
"We are prepared to take strong action if tech firms fail to put in place the measures that will be most impactful in protecting users, especially children, from serious harms such as those relating to child sexual abuse, pornography and fraud," Ofcom said in its Thursday statement.
For the most serious cases Ofcom can go to court to block access to a service throughout the United Kingdom.
The Online Safety Act passed into law in 2023 creates new legal duties tech companies must abide by.
Tech firms will have three months to complete illegal harms assessments on their online platforms starting in December.
The new law seeks to improve online safety.
In 2025, Ofcom said, key milestones will "finalize children's access assessment guidance and guidance for pornography providers on age assurance."
By March 2025 platforms must finish their illegal harms assessments and put appropriate safety measures in place.
Ofcom said Meta and Snapchat have made changes Ofcom proposed to "help prevent children being contacted by strangers" and "to limit who can contact teens and what they can see."
"We've already engaged constructively with some platforms and seen positive changes ahead of time, but our expectations are going to be high, and we'll be coming down hard on those who fall short," Dawes' Thursday statement said.
The Online Safety Act provides more user tools to control what they see online, adds protections for news publisher and journalistic content and will attempt to prevent fraudulent advertising.
The law requires tech companies to produce transparency reports and to "consistently applying their terms of service."
Lawmakers passed the Online Safety Bill in September 2023, mandating that tech companies evaluate the potential of users encountering illegal content and children being exposed to online harm.
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