Online Safety Act Explained

The Online Safety Act (OSA) previously known as the Online Safety Bill is the UK´s comprehensive legislation intended to ensure the safety of online users. The OSA received Royal Assent on the 26th of October 2023 after several revisions. This was introduced to address growing concerns related to online harms and to establish a regulatory framework for online platforms. The primary goal of the legislation is to enhance the safety of users on digital platforms by imposing responsibilities on service providers and platforms to act against harmful content and activities. Some of the main concerns that led to the introduction include (but are not limited to):

User safety, harmful content, duty of care, accountability of platforms, and regulatory oversight.

Who is affected by the OSA?

• Services that host user-generated content such as social media platforms, and other types of content sharing platform or forums

• Sites that host pornographic content

• Messaging Services

• Search engines

• Video sharing platforms (VSPs)

• Gaming platforms that involve user interactions and communications

• The OSA varies depending on the type of platform. Types of platforms have been categorised under the OSA. The extent of platforms obligations differs between categories 1 and 2. For platforms that can be accessed by children there are additional obligations.

• Under the OSA platforms must:

• Duties regarding illegal content as well as priority illegal content. Platforms will need to have measures in place to find and remove illegal content quickly. For certain types of priority content platforms must have measures in place to prevent it from even appearing in the first place.

• Platforms must prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content.

• Enforce age limits and age-checking measures.

• Provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise.

• Offer the option to filter out harmful content.

• Transparency and publishing risk assessments

• Enforce promises made to users through the TOS.

What happens if platforms don’t meet the above?

OFCOM will be the key regulation authority enforcing the OSA. If platforms fail to comply OFCOM will impose fines of the higher of 18 million GBP or 10% of global annual turnover.

How can Orthus help online platforms stay compliant with the OSA?

Orthus is a safety tech solution consisting of top-of-the-line AI classifiers & a content review engine. Orthus can help platforms increase the accuracy and speed of their moderation processes, as well as enable them to complete advance searches to remove illegal & harmful content. In addition, we have a strong focus on protecting the online community and removing CSAM content. That is why we have designed a best on market CSAM classifier than can assist online platforms in removing said content. Lastly, Orthus allows for the customisation of classifiers, helping to tailor to platforms specific needs, helping them to be safe and compliant.

 Disclaimer: this is a summary and not an official legal document or advice. Always check official sources for the most up to date information.