Today we are publishing our fourth and final consultation to implement the online safety fees regime.
In our statement on Online Safety Fees and Penalties published on 26 June 2025, we set out our decision on the computational model we will use to calculate the fees payable by providers and on our general approach to the SoCP. We also committed to a further consultation on our SoCP which sets out the principles we propose to apply when determining the fees payable by providers of regulated services, and details of how providers will be invoiced and can make payments.
The Act requires that Ofcom’s operating costs in respect of online safety regulation are recovered through a fees regime imposed on certain providers of regulated services. The Act further requires that an SoCP must be in force before we can charge fees, that this SoCP should include the principles we propose to apply when charging fees, and these principles must meet certain criteria.
On 20 November 2025, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology laid The Online Safety Act 2023 (QWR Threshold) Regulations 2025 in Parliament, which set out the qualifying worldwide revenue threshold at which providers become liable to pay fees. Subject to the Parliamentary process, these Regulations will come into effect on 11 December 2025. We are required by the Act to make reference to this threshold figure in our SoCP.
Responding to our consultation
We are now consulting on our draft SoCP, set out in Annex 1 of this consultation. Please respond to this consultation using our response form no later than 5pm on 9 January 2026. If you have any questions about this consultation, please contact us on: osfeesregime@ofcom.org.uk.