Illegal and harmful content

OS-illegal

Extreme pornography – a reminder of providers' duties

Published: 22 May 2026

A reminder to pornography services about their duties to tackle Extreme Pornography under the Online Safety Act, in response to allegations of "sleep content" being available to UK users.

Investigation into an online suicide discussion forum and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content

Published: 9 April 2025

Last updated: 22 May 2026

We are investigating whether a provider of an online suicide discussion forum has failed/is failing to comply with its duties under the Online Safety Act 2023.

Platforms should use detection technology to stop spread of illegal intimate images online, under strengthened Ofcom Codes

Published: 18 May 2026

Platforms should use detection technology to stop spread of illegal intimate images online, under strengthened Ofcom Codes.

Statement: Protecting people from illegal harms online

Published: 16 December 2024

Last updated: 18 May 2026

Our illegal harms policy statement includes our full guidance, Codes of Practice and other documents relating to online services' duties under the Online Safety Act.

The Online Safety Act: A safer life online for women and girls

Published: 25 November 2025

Last updated: 18 May 2026

Online interactions play a major role in our daily lives. While most people have positive experiences online, for many women and girls life online can be an extension of harmful gender dynamics that exist in wider society.

Statement: Detecting intimate image abuse

Published: 18 May 2026

This statement sets out our decision to recommend that certain service providers should use ‘hash matching’ technology to detect intimate image abuse and reduce its spread online.

Dating and social discovery: know the online safety risks, rules and how to comply

Published: 18 May 2026

Guidance for the online dating industry on how the Online Safety Act applies to these services, the risks online dating could present to users, and what to do to comply with the rules.

Ofcom statement on X’s commitment to bring in new protections to tackle illegal hate and terror content

Published: 15 May 2026

X has made the following public commitments to better protect UK users from illegal hate and terror content, which Ofcom has accepted

Ofcom fines online suicide forum £950,000

Published: 13 May 2026

Ofcom has today fined the provider of an online suicide forum £950,000 for not complying with duties under the Online Safety Act to protect people in the UK from illegal content.

Online safety fees: what the duties are and how to comply with them

Published: 21 November 2025

Last updated: 13 May 2026

Find out about the new fees-related duties imposed on certain providers of regulated services under the Online Safety Act and how to comply with them.