UK's Online Safety Act has made 'absolutely no difference,' kids say
UK Children's Commissioner tells Lords committee the Online Safety Act has 'made absolutely no difference' and criticizes Ofcom over risk assessment transparency.
England's Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza testified that more than a year after key Online Safety Act child-protection duties took effect, children report no meaningful change in accessing harmful content. She criticized Ofcom for refusing to share companies' safety risk assessments under section 393(1) of the Communications Act 2003, and planned to use statutory powers to compel disclosure. She argued the OSA has not kept pace with AI-driven harms (citing the 'Grok nudifying' controversy) and urged Ofcom to 'use its teeth,' contrasting the UK's approach with Meta's proposed $18 billion US child-safety settlement.