United Kingdom: Office of Communications published Children’s Online Safety Glossary

On 24 April 2025, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) published the Children’s Online Safety Glossary, providing definitions and explanations for terms used throughout the Children's Register of Risks and the Guidance on Content Harmful to Children, and other statement documents. This glossary is designed to assist readers in understanding the terms and phrases, ensuring standardised usage and reference. It includes definitions for general terms, functionalities, business models, user base characteristics, governance, service types, and other relevant terms. The glossary states that while it simplifies some definitions for ease of understanding, the legal definitions set out in the Online Safety Act 2023 take precedence in case of any conflict. It also notes that in instances where there is a discrepancy between the glossary and the Children's Safety Codes, the definitions in the Codes prevail. This resource is intended to support service providers in interpreting and applying the terminology used in the Act and related guidance, in connection with their duties to address risks of harm to children online. Online services must complete child risk assessments by 24 July 2025 and implement safety measures by 25 July 2025 to protect children from harmful content, or face enforcement.