UK Online Safety Act: Ofcom publishes final illegal content codes of practice

Ofcom has published its final illegal content codes of practice under the Online Safety Act, requiring platforms to implement proportionate systems and processes to prevent users from encountering priority illegal content including child sexual abuse material, revenge pornography, and communications offences such as grooming. The codes apply to user-to-user services and search engines, with the largest Category 1 platforms subject to the most stringent obligations, and come into force following parliamentary approval with platforms required to complete risk assessments and implement safety measures within defined timelines.

The regulatory framework mandates protective systems but does not prescribe the technology. Real-time pattern detection intercepts harmful contact at the point of initiation, before a child is exposed to exploitation or coercion, without requiring platforms to decrypt end-to-end encrypted messages or impose blanket content surveillance. Guardii's anti-grooming and anti-CSAM detection modules, built for Meta Business Partner deployment across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and Roblox, flag escalation, sustained targeting and coercive tactics in direct messages as they unfold, surfacing a child at risk to a parent or safeguarding professional and enabling rapid escalation to law enforcement where criminal conduct is detected, addressing the underlying harm the Act targets while preserving user privacy.