Ofcom Accelerates Action Under the Online Safety Act
Ofcom is significantly stepping up its enforcement timelines following new amendments to the Online Safety Act, which officially made online serious self-harm encouragement and “cyber flashing” priority criminal offences. Tech platforms are now legally obligated to proactively block and instantly remove this content rather than waiting for users to report it. Additionally, Ofcom has expedited its decision-making on automated “hash matching” technology designed to automatically intercept non-consensual intimate images (including the rising tide of AI-generated deepfakes) before they can proliferate. With the regulator launching a major call for evidence on tech-driven harms, schools must ensure their filtering, monitoring, and digital literacy curricula are dynamically updated to help pupils recognise and report these emerging digital threats.