UK's Online Safety Regulator Ofcom Sets Ground Rules

The United Kingdom is stepping up to make the internet a safer place for everyone, especially kids. The UK's online safety regulator, Ofcom, has rolled out its first set of guidelines under the new Online Safety Act. These rules are all about stopping bad things from happening to people when they use the internet to talk to each other.

Ofcom's Big Plan for a Safer Internet

Ofcom's main job now is to keep children safe online. They've come up with ideas like not showing kids a list of suggested friends to add or letting strangers send them messages. They want to make sure that no one can find out where kids are when they're online.

The head of Ofcom, Melanie Dawes, explained that the aim is to protect children from the scary parts of the internet. She highlighted how often kids can be contacted online in ways that make them uneasy, and that it's time for a change.

Big and small online companies have to follow these new rules, which help stop illegal stuff like child abuse and fraud. The guidelines give these companies advice on how to keep their users safe, but they don't force them to do it in just one way. Ofcom's not being too strict right away because they want to learn as they go and improve their rules over time.

Some key ideas in Ofcom's plan include making sure search engines don't show websites with bad content and giving people tools to stop others from contacting them online. Ofcom is also thinking carefully about how its rules affect privacy and the use of encryption, which is important for keeping messages secret.

Consultation and Careful Steps Forward

Ofcom is now looking for feedback on these guidelines before they finalize them next fall. Even though these rules are new, some parts of the Online Safety Act are already in place, and companies that don't follow them can get into trouble.

Ofcom has a long to-do list for companies, including assessing the risks for kids. They expect companies to start working on these changes right away but will be reasonable about enforcing the new rules during the early stages.

By carefully consulting and considering feedback, Ofcom aims to protect users, especially children, from online harms while adapting to the new requirements in a balanced way.

Photo: Colin Hoskins