This page provides the latest versions of Ofcom’s online safety regulatory documents and guidance, as well as links to previous, superseded versions. For further information about how to comply with the duties and the steps service providers need to take, visit our guide for services page.
We have published statements where you can also find summaries of our decisions and documents which explain the context and our reasoning.
Statement: Online Safety Transparency Reporting - published 21 July 2025
Statement on Online Safety fees and penalties - published 26 June 2025
Statement: Protecting children from harms online - published 24 April 2025
Statement: Age Assurance and Children’s Access - published 16 January 2025
Statement: Protecting people from illegal harms online - published 16 December 2024
Illegal content risk assessments
Ofcom’s Risk Assessment Guidance aims to help service providers comply with the illegal content duties and contains our ‘Risk Profiles’ that service providers must consult.
Children access assessment and children's risk assessments
Ofcom’s guidance on Children’s Access Assessments helps service providers comply with their duties on these assessments. Ofcom’s Children's Risk Assessment Guidance aims to help service providers comply with the children’s risk assessment duties and contains our ‘Risk Profiles’ that service providers must consult.
Codes of Practice
The Codes of Practice set out measures recommended by Ofcom for service providers to comply with their safety duties and other duties specified under the Act.
Illegal content
- DRAFT Illegal content Codes of Practice for search services (PDF, 660 KB)
- DRAFT Illegal content Codes of Practice for user-to-user services (PDF, 970.54 KB)
Protection of Children
Causes and impacts of harms
The Registers of Risks are our assessments of the causes and impacts of illegal harms and content harmful to children online.
Content guidance
These documents provide guidance on what constitutes illegal content and content harmful to children to support service providers making these judgements.
Record-keeping and review duties
Ofcom’s Record-Keeping and Review Guidance assists service providers with the requirements to keep records of their risk assessments and the measures taken to comply with certain online safety duties, and to review them regularly.
Other online safety guidance for service providers
These documents provide guidance on highly effective age assurance, the concepts of content communicated ‘publicly’ and ‘privately’ within the Act and when and how Ofcom will exercise its transparency powers.
Guidance on Ofcom’s use of its powers
These documents provide guidance on how Ofcom will normally approach enforcement and what our online safety information gathering powers are.
Stay up-to-date with consultations and important dates
To stay up-to-date with current Online Safety consultations and upcoming dates for compliance duties, visit the important dates for online safety compliance page.