Children’s Access Assessment

The Online Safety Act requires all platforms to assess whether children are likely to access their services and document their findings.

Key Requirements:

• Deadline: 16 April 2025
  All platforms must complete a children’s access assessment by this date.
• Documentation: The outcome of the assessment must be recorded, whether children are likely to access the service or not.

Steps to Take:

• Platforms with highly effective age assurance measures in place can conclude that children are unlikely to access their service and must record this conclusion.
• If additional evidence is needed (stage 2), platforms must document the steps taken and the evidence used to determine the outcome.

For detailed instructions, refer to OFCOM’s guidance document (pages 12–23) or their quick guide to Children’s AccessAssessments.

Tackling Illegal Harms

Services must assess and mitigate the risks of illegal content and activities on their platforms.

Key Deadlines:

• Risk Assessment: 16 March 2025
  Platforms must conduct a risk assessment for illegal harms by this date.
• Safety Measures Implementation: 17 March 2025
  Once assessed, platforms must adopt the safety measures outlined in OFCOM’s Codes of Practice or alternative effective methods to protect users.

To simplify compliance, OFCOM has created a Risk Assessment Tool to guide businesses through this process.