Legal & Safety
Parents
UK Online Safety Act 2026
A guide to your new legal protections under the 2026 safety standards.
THE LAW
The 2026 UK Online Safety Act makes platforms liable for the harm caused by their algorithms.
YOUR NEW RIGHTS
1. The 48-Hour Takedown: For content involving harassment or deepfakes, platforms must remove it within 48 hours of a report.
2. Mandatory Age Verification: Apps must now use secure ID verification to prevent children from seeing adult content.
3. Duty of Care: If an algorithm promotes harmful content to minors, platform executives can face legal action.
4. The CEOP Link: Every major app must feature a direct link to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command.
HOW TO USE THIS
If you report content and the platform ignores you, keep a screenshot. You can escalate this to Ofcom, who has the power to fine the company.
The 2026 UK Online Safety Act makes platforms liable for the harm caused by their algorithms.
YOUR NEW RIGHTS
1. The 48-Hour Takedown: For content involving harassment or deepfakes, platforms must remove it within 48 hours of a report.
2. Mandatory Age Verification: Apps must now use secure ID verification to prevent children from seeing adult content.
3. Duty of Care: If an algorithm promotes harmful content to minors, platform executives can face legal action.
4. The CEOP Link: Every major app must feature a direct link to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command.
HOW TO USE THIS
If you report content and the platform ignores you, keep a screenshot. You can escalate this to Ofcom, who has the power to fine the company.