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UK’s Protection of Children Code – one year on
One year on from Ofcom’s Protection of Children Codes coming into force, research shows real change, and children have noticed the difference. Its long-term success, however, will depend on robust political backing and strong, effective enforcement.
One year ago, the Protection of Children Code under the Online Safety Act came into force, marking another important milestone in the UK’s approach to children’s online safety. Building on the foundations laid by the Age Appropriate Design Code, it helps establish one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory frameworks for protecting children in the digital environment. Together, these regimes require online services to move beyond reactive moderation and embed children’s safety and rights into the design and operation of their products.
A year later, there is clear evidence that this regulation is making a difference. Companies have made changes to their products, and children are beginning to see a difference. But the evidence shows that progress is still uneven, and without continued political backing, and strong regulatory enforcement, the Code will fall short of parliament’s ambition.
Research published earlier this year by the Digital Futures for Children centre, a joint research initiative between 5Rights and the LSE, found that some companies have introduced stronger protections by default, demonstrating that the regulation is changing corporate behaviour.
The Impact of Regulation on Children’s Digital Lives – Phase II report also found that age assurance has become significantly more common but noted that AI chatbot protections remain patchy and incomplete.
Crucially, children themselves have noticed a difference. Research published this week by Internet Matters found that 68% of children have noticed more safety measures on the platforms they use, including improved reporting tools and content filters. However, the findings also show how much work remains. More than half (52%) of children reported experiencing at least one type of harm that the Online Safety Act was designed to address over the past year. Under-13s also continue to use platforms with a minimum age of 13, with around a third of 9–12-year-olds using TikTok.
“The Protection of Children Code has shown that regulation can change how platforms design their services. But those gains will only last if the Code is properly enforced and backed by continued political commitment.
“Whatever approach the Government takes on social media access for under-16s, there will always be children online. That’s why we need strong regulation to ensure the services they use are safe by design,”
Colette Collins-Walsh, Head of UK Affairs at 5Rights
Regulation has driven important changes, but it is not yet delivering the level of impact needed to address the scale of risks children face online. The Protection of Children code needs to be enforced more consistently and treated as a floor for children’s safety, not a ceiling. With the under-16s social media ban on the horizon, the Codes still remain essential. Protecting children online requires action across the wider digital landscape. Robust enforcement of the Codes remains essential in the meantime, and beyond.
