UK Online Safety Act — First Enforcement Phase Begins

Ofcom began the first wave of enforcement under the Online Safety Act 2023. Platforms were required to complete illegal content risk assessments. Failure carries fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover or £18 million. Critics noted the Act's broad "legal but harmful" provisions — which have not yet been fully activated — could compel platforms to over-censor lawful speech, and that the risk assessment framework created permanent surveillance obligations over platform content.

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