It is crunch time for platforms deemed to have the biggest following among young users. Ofcom, the regulator, has powers to enforce jurisdictions against gaming sites, social media platforms and search services in the age of online safety. By July, robust verification measures will be enforced that meet the accreditation standards, preventing authentication that allows anyone to self assert their permissions. Tech groups will have to complete an assessment of the risk their service poses to children or face a fine up to £18mn.
The code of practice unveiled by Ofcom this week outlines accountability measures to target the dangerous prevalence of adult content on platforms such as X and Meta. Ofcom has said the industry will have to seriously adjust to the expectations, whilst the reality will mean making “far-reaching changes” to try to reconfigure advanced algorithms serving harmful content onto children’s social media feeds.
