The UK Online Safety Bill: Who is in Scope?

In this course we will delve into the critical steps providers must take to ensure compliance in this evolving regulatory landscape.

The Online Safety Bill, the UK's long-awaited landmark legislation designed to protect children and adults online, is finally due to become law in autumn 2023. The legislation will usher in a sea change in the way online spaces are regulated and will place wide-ranging responsibilities on online platforms for protecting users from illegal and harmful content. Ofcom is tasked with enforcing the bill and will have extensive powers to investigate providers and sanction them for breaches.

As a first step when preparing for the introduction of the new regime, providers of online services will need to work out whether they fall within its scope and, if so, what content on their platforms will be subject to regulation.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify the categories of services included within the scope of the bill
2. Understand the various exemptions provided by the bill and the types of content regulated by the bill