Ofcom Unveils New Online Safety Measures to Protect Children

Published on April 24th, the guide explains how tech companies will be held to "ambitious new safety standards" designed to create a safer online environment for children across the UK.

Under the new regulations, social media platforms, gaming sites, and other online services used by children will be required to implement:

• Effective age verification: Stronger measures to prevent children from accessing age-inappropriate content

• Safer feeds and recommendations: Algorithms must not recommend harmful content to children

• Faster action on harmful content: Quicker removal of dangerous material

• Better reporting tools: Easier ways for users to report concerns

• Tougher enforcement: Significant penalties for platforms that fail to protect children

The new measures specifically target content related to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, pornography, and online bullying, areas that research has shown to be particularly harmful to young people's wellbeing.

Elizabeth Meshioye, ClickSafe Club's Safeguarding Lead, welcomes the changes: "These new regulations put real responsibility on tech companies to create safer online spaces. Parents have been asking for stronger protections, and Ofcom is finally delivering them."

The Ofcom guide offers practical advice for parents, including:

1. Having regular conversations with children about their online activities

2. Using parental controls to monitor and limit screen time

3. Teaching children about online risks and safe behavior

4. Knowing how to report harmful content to platforms and, when necessary, to the police

While some measures will be implemented immediately, the full regulatory framework will roll out over the coming months. Tech companies are being given time to develop and integrate the required safety features into their platforms.

We believe this represents a significant step forward. For years, parents have shouldered most of the responsibility for keeping children safe online. These new regulations appropriately shift some of that burden to the tech companies whose platforms children use.

While these new measures are welcome, parents should continue to stay engaged with their children's online activities, as no technical solution can replace open conversation and digital education. The most effective approach combines strong platform safeguards with ongoing parent-child communication about online safety.

As an organisation working directly with families and schools to build digital confidence, ClickSafe Club welcomes the practical tone of Ofcom's advice. The tips, from encouraging open conversations to using parental control, reflect real, doable actions. For parents unfamiliar with tech, this kind of guidance is not just helpful—it's necessary.

That said, Ofcom's efforts must go further. For many families we work with, digital literacy is not just about settings and safeguards—it's about mindset. Parents in underserved communities often see digital skills and STEM education as "nice-to-haves," not essentials. Without inclusive outreach that tackles these beliefs head-on, regulation alone won't change outcomes.

We commend Ofcom for raising the bar. Now it's time to pair policy with real-world support, especially in the communities most impacted by online harms and digital exclusion

Parents can read the full Ofcom guide here, and ClickSafe Club will be hosting a free webinar next month to help families understand how to make the most of these new protections.

To join our webinar, register your interest by sending an email to info@clicksafeclub.org.uk.

ClickSafe Club is committed to helping children stay safe and thrive in the digital world through education, resources, and community support.