Ofcom, the communications watchdog, has released its first guidance for tech platforms under the Online Safety Act, focusing on addressing illegal content, including online child abuse.
One key recommendation is that social media platforms should avoid suggesting children as "friends" by default to combat online grooming. Ofcom's draft code of practice covers activities such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming, and fraud.
It proposes changes to default settings on larger platforms, content moderation team resource enhancements, and hash-matching technology for detecting CSAM. The hashing method will not apply to private or encrypted messages, respecting encryption principles. The consultation on these powers is scheduled for 2024, with potential implementation around 2025. Photo by Hacker19374, Wikimedia commons.