TIGA is please to share in full the latest Ofcom Update regarding its Additional Safety Measures consultation.
Below is the update from Ofcom in full:
We have now published our Additional Safety Measures consultation. This is our next step in implementing the Online Safety Act and creating a safer life online for people in the UK. You can find a copy of our consultation in full on our website, alongside an update to our roadmap.
The consultation sets out our proposals for additional safety measures to strengthen our Codes as part of our ‘Year of Action’ on online safety. The proposed measures build on our Illegal Harms Codes (which came into force in March) and Protection of Children Codes (which will come into force in July).
The new measures we are proposing are targeted updates which focus on asking platforms to do more to keep users safe. They represent our commitment to move fast, respond to stakeholder feedback, and raise the standard of online protection for UK users.
What’s in the consultation?
Stopping illegal content going viral
We want to ensure platforms are doing more, earlier, to prevent serious illegal content from spreading. That means having protocols in place to respond to spikes in illegal content during a crisis, like the riots we saw after the Southport attacks last year. It means users should not be recommended potentially illegal material until it has been checked by services. It means better protections around livestreams, with better reporting functions and human moderators available at all times.
Tackling harms at source
Huge volumes of content appear online every day, and providers need to make better use of technology to prevent illegal material from reaching users. We are proposing they use a technology called hash matching to identify intimate image abuse and terrorism content. We also think some services should go further – assessing the role that automated tools can play in detecting a wider range of content, including child abuse material, fraudulent content and content promoting suicide and self-harm and implementing new technology where it is available and effective. Finally, we recommend services take action against users who share or upload illegal content and content harmful to children
Affording further protections to children
We know children remain at risk of some of the most egregious harms online. That is why we are proposing that services use highly effective age assurance to help protect children from grooming. We are acting on risky environments like livestreaming, recommending that users should no longer be able to interact with children’s livestreams through comments and gifts. And we are proposing that platforms take action to prevent individuals who share child sexual abuse material from using the service.
How to respond
- The full consultation is available on our website here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/online-safety-additional-safety-measures
- Responses can be submitted via our online form or in writing to: ASMConsultation@ofcom.org.uk
- The deadline for responses is 20 October 2025
Further engagement
We are scheduling a programme of engagement events throughout the consultation period, including roundtables, webinars and 1:1 meetings.
- To register for the Industry webinar, please click here (updated link).
- To register for the Civil Society webinar, please click here.
If you have any questions, please contact us at ASMConsultation@Ofcom.org.uk
We look forward to your views and continuing to work with you to make the UK the safest place to be online.
Update on Online Safety implementation plans
We have also published an update on our online safety implementation plans. This document includes important upcoming milestones for our online safety work this year and we will publish a substantive update towards the end of 2025.
