United Kingdom: Draft regulations for Online Safety Act category thresholds with additional obligations based on platform size were introduced to House of Commons and House of Lords

On 16 December 2024, draft regulations for the Online Safety Act category thresholds, which set additional obligations for digital platforms based on their size, were introduced to both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The regulations, based on Ofcom’s advice, set Category 1 thresholds at more than 34 million UK users with a content recommender system, or over 7 million UK users with forwarding or resharing functionalities. The categorisation determines additional duties for platforms, with Category 1 services required to implement enhanced safety measures, including transparency reporting, protection of journalistic content, and user empowerment tools. All regulated services, regardless of category, remain subject to illegal content and child safety duties. The approval enables Ofcom to proceed with publishing a public register of categorised services and to consult on draft codes of practice and guidance, contributing to the implementation of the Act and the broader regulatory framework for online safety in the United Kingdom.