UK's Online Safety Act has made 'absolutely no difference,' kids say
Children's Commissioner also furious with Ofcom over a string of failures
Children in England have complained that the Online Safety Act (OSA) has had no impact on their ability to access harmful online content, according to Dame Rachel de Souza, England's Children's Commissioner. Over a year after the OSA's child protection duties began, de Souza told MPs and peers that young people lacked understanding of the legislation and its intended impact.
De Souza criticized the OSA's focus on moderating content rather than addressing platform design features that could harm users. She expressed frustration that there was no evidence of the OSA changing how social media operates. In contrast, she pointed to the US, where Meta recently agreed to reforms following legal pressure, including limits on teen usage and more transparency.
De Souza argued that the OSA needed to be more flexible and up-to-date, like the US legal system. She also accused Ofcom, the OSA's regulator, of being too passive, refusing to share tech companies' safety risk assessments and lacking the strength to pursue offenders. De Souza urged politicians to empower Ofcom to take stronger action against offending organizations, including imposing significant fines.
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