United Kingdom: Closed consultation on Ofcom Illegal Content Codes of Practice for user-to-user services

On 23 February 2024, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) closed the consultation on the illegal content Codes of Practice for user-generated content platforms under the Online Safety Bill. Platforms are divided into two groups, with a large service being defined as having an average user base of more than 7 million per month in the UK and smaller services below the threshold. The draft subdivides the services into three different categories, low-risk, specific risk, and multi-risk. The recommended measures are structured thematically, with chapters covering specific areas such as governance and accountability, content moderation, reporting and complaints, terms of service, default settings and support for child users, recommender systems, enhanced user controls, and user access. Each measure in the Codes of Practice includes an "application" section detailing its scope and a table indexing the measures by their applicability to services, inclusion in relevant Codes, and related obligations. In addition to the Codes of Practice, service providers should also refer to separate guidance on risk assessment, illegal content judgments, record-keeping, and enforcement.