Enforcing the Online Safety Act for Children

The 2023 Online Safety Act represents a watershed for child safety in the digital world. Tech companies will be required to make their services safe by design and to offer children a higher standard of protection than adults.

However, the success of the Act hinges on robust implementation. As Ofcom prepares to release its draft guidance, the Children’s Coalition, a group of leading child rights organisations, has outlined a set of crucial recommendations for achieving the Act’s full potential.

The Children’s Coalition emphasises the need for Ofcom to set ambitious standards that go beyond mere codification of existing industry practices. “Tick-box” solutions are insufficient – instead, Ofcom must focus on measurable outcomes that demonstrably enhance children’s online safety.

This document outlines five key areas where regulated service providers must demonstrably prioritize child safety: 

1. High-Risk Services, High Standards: irrespective of their size, all platforms deemed high-risk must offer an elevated level of protection for child users. 
2. Safety by Design: child safety should be embedded throughout the product development process, ensuring platforms are built with children in mind.
3. Comprehensive approach to risk mitigation: a comprehensive approach is essential, encompassing age-appropriate access controls, content moderation, robust reporting mechanisms, user education, and collaboration with experts, including children themselves.
4. Empowering Safety Teams: safety teams require sufficient resources and autonomy to prioritize child safety even when commercial interests might conflict. 
5. Business model scrutiny: the impact of company business models on safety needs thorough examination.

These recommendations are grounded in the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, informed by the lived experiences of children and anticipate that different age groups and children with specific needs might require additional safeguards.

By adopting the Children’s Coalition’s recommendations outlined in this document, Ofcom can ensure that the Online Safety Act effectively protects children online.