Ofcom Releases Updated Online Safety Roadmap for 2026–2027
Ofcom has published a detailed month-by-month roadmap outlining the next phase of online safety regulation in the UK, covering the period from March 2026 to May 2027. The plan sets clear expectations for platforms, including social media, dating, and messaging apps, as they work toward full compliance with the Online Safety Act.
Key priorities highlighted by Ofcom’s Group Director of Online Safety, Oliver Griffiths, include stronger protections for children, tackling illegal hate speech and terrorist content, and improving safety for women and girls online. The roadmap details specific actions that services must take, along with Ofcom’s own publication timelines for guidance and statutory reports.
Major milestones include:
- April–July 2026: Services formally notified by Ofcom must submit illegal content and children’s risk assessment records.
- July 2026: Platforms are required to ensure risk assessments and record-keeping duties are up to date.
- October 2026: Ofcom will publish a statutory report on content harmful to children, while Category 1 and 2 services must provide risk assessment records and publish transparency summaries.
- January 2027: Statutory report on app stores is expected.
The full roadmap goes into greater detail about the specific expected (and required) timeframes of each step.
The regulator is also continuing work on new priority offences related to serious self-harm and cyberflashing, with final statements and additional safety measures on intimate image abuse and crisis response protocols scheduled throughout 2026.
In addition to the roadmap, Ofcom has launched a new digital tool to help platforms complete Children’s Access Assessments. The step-by-step guide is designed to take less than 10 minutes and produces a downloadable record for compliance purposes.
Ofcom’s phased approach aims to reduce online harms while giving companies time to implement necessary changes. Platforms operating in the UK should use the roadmap to plan compliance efforts over the next 12–18 months.
