UK Online Safety Regulations and impact on Forums

lazy llama

Well-known member
The UK regulator OFCOM yesterday announced a set of regulations which will come into effect on 17th March 2025


These have broad implications for all forums which "have links to the UK" - including those which accept UK users.

I've not yet had the chance to read all the guidance, as there are thousands of pages of it in multiple volumes. From what I can see the key items are strong age verification and content scanning.

I've already seen some forums announcing that they will close down as the regulations are too broad and put too much load onto the service owner.


There's an online questionnaire which indicates whether your system is covered (if it has Direct Messages enabled, it almost certainly is)

 
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that will be nice to know what that means yes....the first part sounds like a burden to XF(which more likely gets passed to third party/owner).....the second part sounds like another ******* way to try and force scanning data, naturally for the good of all mankind ;) ;)....no more private web communities? not having anything to do with money has avoided alot of these sort of things in the past, but it figures if that only lasted so long 🤔
 
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For smaller services, less than 7 million UK users, there are rules which mandate:
  • Having a search moderation function designed to action illegal content (aimed at 'search services')
  • Having a content moderation function to review and assess suspected illegal content (I'm assuming this is beyond existing ability to report including private messages)
Working through some of the documents to see what other implications it has. There’s mandatory risk assessment, named responsible individuals etc.

For sites with less than 700,000 active monthly UK users, the automated content scanning doesn’t appear to be required.
 
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An automatic search and reporting area for predetermined words in the admin panel would be great. I think this is a great suggestion @lazy llama. Thank you to draw our attentıon for new requirements.
 
Risk factors called out for Discussion forums and chat rooms:
Risk factor: Discussion forums and chat rooms

• Key kinds of illegal harm*: Your service is likely to have an increased risk of harm related to terrorism, foreign interference, CSEA (grooming and CSAM**), intimate image abuse and encouraging or assisting suicide offences.

If your service is a discussion forum or chat room, you should consider how your service may be used by potential perpetrators to discuss and share illegal content in a setting that is typically visible to the public. For example, our evidence shows that discussion forums and chat room services can act as spaces where suicide is assisted or encouraged.
 
my uk userbase is low, really low. But, I will still do what is required if needed, within reason. I do think its a bit too "big brother" but the only way to survive is to adapt. If needed, all users could be limited to age and region. To get ahead, I will disable all conversation uploads.
 
my uk userbase is low, really low. But, I will still do what is required if needed, within reason. I do think its a bit too "big brother" but the only way to survive is to adapt. If needed, all users could be limited to age and region. To get ahead, I will disable all conversation uploads.
A good idea also would be a plugin that detects the region of the user; example (UK) and force a minimum age requirement if set. @Painbaker
 
Closing a bike forum because of a few safeguards. Sound like a massive over-reaction to me.
More like an easy excuses for "I'm done with ya'll, here's my reason"

In all seriousness, nothing really changes for most of us. Yes, it's best to have an age verification. But other than that, I don't see anything else worrying.
 
If you provide a user-to-user (‘U2U’) or search service, you must carry out an illegal content risk assessment. Broadly speaking, this legal obligation requires you to assess the risks on your service associated with priority offences and other illegal content.

Service providers are required to make and keep a written record, in easily understandable form, for all aspects of every illegal content risk assessment.
The record should include details of how the risk assessment was carried out and its findings, including:
how a service provider has consulted Ofcom's Risk Profiles; the evidence used to assess risks; and, the outcomes of the risk assessment.
That's not something I do at the moment. Do you?

We estimated that the cost to providers of smaller U2U services of implementing the equivalent measure in Children’s Safety Codes could be in the region of £3,000 to £7,000.source:
I'm hoping we'll be able to do it for less!
 
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This is why I block any users from the EU and UK. I'm just not even mildly interested in dealing with the insanely and constantly moving legal goalposts. As an American living and operating in the USA, I will simply not observe, respect, or abide foreign laws or requirements. If I'm physically IN their country, that's another matter, of course. But over here in the USA, we have a Right to Free Speech. :)
 
This is why I block any users from the EU and UK. I'm just not even mildly interested in dealing with the insanely and constantly moving legal goalposts. As an American living and operating in the USA, I will simply not observe, respect, or abide foreign laws or requirements. If I'm physically IN their country, that's another matter, of course. But over here in the USA, we have a Right to Free Speech. :)
And you're posting on a UK forum. :rolleyes:
 
And you're posting on a UK forum. :rolleyes:
Well, I'm not the one who implemented the onerous GDPR and similar laws. I simply don't have the time, resources, or patience to deal with such laws. And on a principled basis, I oppose them to my very core. If I allow UK and EU members on my forum, I can be penalized for not conforming to the laws of those countries.... countries that are now arresting citizens (subjects?) for posting "mean things" on social media.

There is nothing to be gained by opening my forum to those countries and exposing myself to legal liability. It's not a slight against the UK. (I honeymooned in London 25 years ago and had a lovely time.) It's simply a recent legal reality that I have decided to not get involved. And as the OP revealed... that legal liability is getting ever more convoluted and precarious. It's unfortunate. But as they say on a popular TV show here called "Shark Tank".... "and for that reason I'm out." ;)
 
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