Ofcom cracks down on UK tech firms, will issue sanctions for illegal content

• Ofcom will now issue sanctions for tech platforms for harmful content
• Fines of up to £18 million could be given
• Social media and messaging apps are in the scope of the Online Safety Bill

The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom has announced it will now issue sanctions against tech platforms that fail to remove illegal or harmful content on their sites.

From today, updates to the Online Safety Act mean new ‘illegal harm duties’ have come into force, meaning platforms must implement appropriate measures to “remove illegal material quickly when they become aware of it, and to reduce the risk of ‘priority’ criminal content from appearing in the first place.”