The UK’s Online Safety Act, which recently came into force, mandates that tech businesses employ robust safety measures to prevent CSAM and other illicit content distribution. Among the methods are using advanced technologies such as hash-matching and URL detection to scan for and take down CSAM immediately. Hash-matching contrasts digital fingerprints of suspected CSAM against content on platforms to locate and remove illicit material efficiently. URL detection also helps in blocking sites hosting CSAM by identifying and flagging harmful URLs.
Apart from these technical solutions, online services are required to have an older person who is assigned the responsibility of fulfilling these safety commitments. This includes managing complaints and reporting illegal content successfully. Moderation teams should be properly trained and equipped to deal with the removal of abusive content efficiently and timely.
The legislation also emphasizes safety on the net for children by ensuring their whereabouts and their profiles are not visible to other users by default. Also, non-linked accounts should not be permitted to send direct messages to children, and children need to be educated about the risks of publishing personal information online.
The UK’s internet regulator is able to direct non-compliant companies to incur significant fines of as much as £18 million or 10% of turnover globally, whichever is greater. In serious instances, the regulator can request a court order for access to be blocked to a site in the UK. The enforcement power indicates just how seriously the UK is treating concerns around online safety.
The new regulations apply to over 100,000 tech firms, ranging from large social media sites to smaller service providers. They will have to implement the required safety features by mid-March 2025. The UK approach to online safety is balanced, with larger platforms having more onerous responsibilities in line with their higher-risk profiles.
Apart from CSAM, the legislations also include other offensive content like terrorism, hate speech, fraud, and non-consensual intimate photos. The UK’s move is also a part of a wider global trend of more regulation on the internet in an effort to create a safer online world for all.
In the coming months, additional guidance and consultations will issue, with a focus on additional steps to enhance online safety. These include proposals to temporarily suspend accounts used to distribute CSAM, deploying AI to tackle illegal harms, and implementing crisis response procedures for urgent incidents. The UK’s online safety leadership serves as a model for other countries to follow in addressing the multi-faceted challenges of the digital age.
