UK Tech Minister Urges Ofcom to Accelerate Online Safety Enforcement
Liz Kendall presses regulator over delays in implementing key provisions of the Online Safety Act ahead of duties coming into force
British Technology Minister Liz Kendall has written to communications regulator Ofcom urging it to speed up enforcement of the Online Safety Act 2023, citing concerns that delays could undermine protections for women, girls and users subjected to antisemitism.
In her letter, Kendall highlighted that certain duties such as user-empowerment are trailing schedule and warned that “delays in implementing duties … could hinder our work to protect women and girls from harmful content and protect users from antisemitism.”
Ofcom has been phasing in the act’s requirements, which target platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and sites offering pornography, with duties such as age-verification and the removal of illegal content.
However, it recently disclosed that publication of its register of regulated providers would be delayed until July next year—one year later than originally planned—due to “complex issues” arising from a legal challenge.
The delay follows a legal case brought by the Wikimedia Foundation, which challenged the categorisation of its service under the act.
While the High Court dismissed the case in August, it left open possibilities for further challenges should Wikipedia be designated a “Category 1” service—the tier with the highest regulatory burdens.
The regulator’s enforcement record is growing: since March it has opened multiple investigations and issued a £20,000 fine to the forum 4chan for failing to respond to information requests.
Yet industry observers say the pace of full implementation remains slow, leaving a window of regulatory vulnerability for vulnerable users.
Kendall’s intervention raises the political stakes around the act’s rollout and signals that the government expects more urgent action from the regulator.
Ofcom has committed to continuing work through 2025 while balancing enforcement actions with companies’ rights to due process.
The regulator now faces a two-part challenge: deliver against new regulatory duties and manage the interplay between tech-sector push-back and public-interest demands for safer online environments.
The minister’s letter places a clear marker that delays will no longer be acceptable and that the government expects Ofcom to deliver compliant platforms—not just compliant rules.
In her letter, Kendall highlighted that certain duties such as user-empowerment are trailing schedule and warned that “delays in implementing duties … could hinder our work to protect women and girls from harmful content and protect users from antisemitism.”
Ofcom has been phasing in the act’s requirements, which target platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and sites offering pornography, with duties such as age-verification and the removal of illegal content.
However, it recently disclosed that publication of its register of regulated providers would be delayed until July next year—one year later than originally planned—due to “complex issues” arising from a legal challenge.
The delay follows a legal case brought by the Wikimedia Foundation, which challenged the categorisation of its service under the act.
While the High Court dismissed the case in August, it left open possibilities for further challenges should Wikipedia be designated a “Category 1” service—the tier with the highest regulatory burdens.
The regulator’s enforcement record is growing: since March it has opened multiple investigations and issued a £20,000 fine to the forum 4chan for failing to respond to information requests.
Yet industry observers say the pace of full implementation remains slow, leaving a window of regulatory vulnerability for vulnerable users.
Kendall’s intervention raises the political stakes around the act’s rollout and signals that the government expects more urgent action from the regulator.
Ofcom has committed to continuing work through 2025 while balancing enforcement actions with companies’ rights to due process.
The regulator now faces a two-part challenge: deliver against new regulatory duties and manage the interplay between tech-sector push-back and public-interest demands for safer online environments.
The minister’s letter places a clear marker that delays will no longer be acceptable and that the government expects Ofcom to deliver compliant platforms—not just compliant rules.
