UK law
Ofcom issues guidance on mandatory age checks for pornographic content services
Last week we wrote about Ofcom’s new guidance on protecting children under the Online Safety Act 2023. Among other things, it requires age assurance requirements for online services allowing pornographic content. From 25 July 2025, affected services must implement ‘highly effective age assurance’ measures to prevent under-18s from accessing such content. The requirements apply to services within scope of the Online Safety Act 2023, with Ofcom sending notification letters to hundreds of services whose primary purpose is hosting pornographic material.
Ofcom launches consultation on extending Online Safety Act user controls
Ofcom is consulting about amendments to the Illegal Content Codes of Practice under the Online Safety Act. The amendments would extend blocking and muting controls and comment disabling features to smaller user-to-user service providers likely to be accessed by children. The consultation ends on 22 July 2025.
Ofcom establishes Online Information Advisory Committee under Online Safety Act 2023
Ofcom has established its Online Information Advisory Committee under section 152 of the Online Safety Act 2023. Five expert members have been appointed to the committee for three-year terms. The Committee will advise on misinformation and disinformation matters from 1 May 2025. The Committee will support Ofcom’s statutory duty to ensure platforms address illegal content and child-harmful material through appropriate systems, without making decisions on individual content.
CMA publishes guidance on 4Ps under the Digital Markets Competition Regime
The CMA has set out how the CMA plans to implement the so-called 4Ps under the digital markets competition regime. Through pace, predictability, proportionality and process, it says that it will promote business trust and confidence, encourage investment and innovation and deliver positive outcomes for UK businesses and consumers. It sets out the approach the CMA will take, including how the CMA will pursue deeper collaboration with stakeholders to inform its work; ensure transparency around prioritisation of investigations and interventions and deliver efficient and streamlined processes to ensure stakeholders can meaningfully engage with its work.
FCA publishes engagement paper for AI live testing
The Financial Conduct Authority has published an engagement paper for its proposal for AI Live Testing. The proposal builds on the FCA’s new five-year strategy which sets out how it aims to support growth through a tech-positive approach. It also aims to support the FCA to be a smarter regulator by embracing data and technology to be more effective and efficient. The FCA has asked for feedback on the engagement paper by 10 June 2025.
ICO issues statement following ramsomware attack on British Library
In October 2023, the British Library reported a ransomware attack to the ICO, which escalated because of the lack of multi-factor authentication on an administrator account. Following the incident, the British Library published a cyber incident review in March 2024, which provided an overview of the cyber-attack and key lessons learnt to help other organisations that may experience similar incidents. Having carefully considered this particular case, the Information has Commissioner decided that, due to its current priorities, further investigation would not be the most effective use of its resources. It has provided guidance to the British Library, which has reassured the ICO about its commitment to continue to review and ensure that appropriate security measures are in place to protect people’s data.
