Lisa Nandy admits ‘problem’ with Ofcom enforcement of online safety rules Tech Lisa Nandy has admitted there is “a problem” with Ofcom’s ability to enforce online safety rules as she signalled further regulation of tech firms beyond the government’s under-16 social media ban. “Laws are only as good as the ability to enforce them”, the culture secretary said, as she called for a more active role for [...]
‘Underwhelmed’: Ofcom admits online safety impact falling short as full roll-out slips to 2027 Tech Britain’s online safety watchdog has admitted its flagship rules have so far had an “underwhelming” impact on children’s safety, as it revealed the Online Safety Act will not be fully operational until the middle of 2027 and warned the government’s incoming social media ban could stretch its resources. Ofcom officials faced a grilling from peers [...]
Apple and Google defend safety records as UK clamps down on explicit teen content Tech Apple and Google have defended their child safety records after the government said it would force tech giants to block under-18s from sending or viewing nude images on smartphones. The Silicon Valley pair told City AM they had made progress on introducing new safeguards for teenagers after three months of talks with ministers failed to [...]
Meta trial risks reputational damage that ‘dwarfs’ financial hit August 18, 2026 Meta faces a reputational hit that could “dwarf” even the potentially colossal financial penalties if it loses a landmark US trial over claims it deliberately made Instagram and Facebook addictive to children. The tech giant goes to trial in California today in one of the biggest legal tests yet of the way social media platforms [...]
TikTok loses court battle over £12.7m child privacy fine August 5, 2026 TikTok has lost an appeal against a £12.7m fine from the UK’s data protection regulator for illegally processing the data of over 1.4m children under the age of 13. The watchdog hit TikTok with the penalty in April 2023 for breaching the UK’s data protection law, the GDPR, for unlawfully processing the data of children [...]
Sadiq Khan urges tougher Ofcom action as UK prepares social media ban rules July 14, 2026 Sadiq Khan has called on social media companies to change algorithms that promote violent and misogynistic material, as London launches a £5m programme to tackle the effect of online harms on young people. The mayor of London also believes the state should be ready to intervene where platforms cannot or will not change their recommendation [...]
4chan ridicules Ofcom again as watchdog chases unpaid £520k fine July 2, 2026 4chan has again mocked Ofcom after the regulator renewed demands for the controversial image generator to pay its £520,000 Online Safety Act fine, prompting its lawyer to respond with another AI-generated hamster. Preston Byrne, the US lawyer representing 4chan, posted on X on Thursday: “Ofcom wrote. Again. Demanding that 4chan pay its fine. Sent us [...]
Starmer urged to press ahead with under-16 social media ban as decision nears June 6, 2026 Keir Starmer has been urged to press ahead with a social media ban for under-16s after a group of leading doctors warned ministers not to mistake early attempts by children to bypass restrictions as evidence that such policies do not work. The intervention comes as the government prepares to decide whether Britain will introduce some [...]
Starmer prepares child social media curbs as pressure mounts on addictive apps May 27, 2026 The government is preparing to tighten restrictions on children’s social media use after a consultation that drew more than 81,000 responses, with ministers expected to target the design of major platforms rather than impose a blanket ban for under-16s. New measures under consideration include restrictions on autoplay videos, infinite scrolling, push notifications, overnight access and [...]
Ofcom launches probe into Telegram over child safety failures April 21, 2026 The UK’s communications regulator has launched a probe into Telegram after evidence emerged that child sexual abuse material was being shared on the platform. Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it has also opened investigations into teen chat sites Teen Chat and Chat Avenue, assessing whether the platforms are meeting their legal duties to protect children [...]