Statement: Technology Notices

Statement published 8 May 2026

We are today publishing two parts of the framework that underpins Ofcom’s Online Safety Technology Notice powers: our advice for the DSIT Secretary of State on what the minimum standards of accuracy for accredited technologies should be; and our guidance about how we propose to use this power. 

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms have a range of new duties, including relating to illegal content. We have set out the steps providers can take to address illegal harms in our Statement: Protecting people from illegal harms online.

Ofcom has additional powers to tackle two categories of illegal content: terrorism and child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) content. We have the power, where we decide it is necessary and proportionate, to make a provider use a specific technology to tackle terrorism and/or CSEA content, or to develop technology to tackle CSEA content. We would do this by issuing a Technology Notice under section 121 of the Act. Any technology that we require a provider to use will need to be accredited either by Ofcom, or someone appointed by us, against minimum standards of accuracy set by the UK Government, after advice from Ofcom. 

We are publishing two parts of the framework that underpins our Technology Notices powers: 

• Advice to the DSIT Secretary of State on how to set minimum standards of accuracy – our policy proposals on minimum standards of accuracy for terrorism/CSEA content identification technologies.

• Guidance – to providers of regulated user-to-user and search services about how we propose to exercise our Technology Notice powers, when we are able to do so.

Ofcom have a duty to report annually on the use of these powers. Our annual reports are published on the Ofcom website, here.

What happens next 

Following receipt of Ofcom’s advice, it is for the Secretary of State to approve and publish minimum standards of accuracy for accredited technologies. 

Once the Secretary of State has approved and published minimum standards of accuracy, Ofcom is then responsible for setting up a process to accredit technologies as meeting those minimum standards. 

Our roadmap to regulation sets out our latest plans for implementation of the online safety regime.