Online Safety Act 2023

2 Overview of Act

(1) Parts 2 to 9 and 11 and 12 of this Act contain provision about the regulation by OFCOM of certain internet services.

(2) Part 2 contains key definitions, including the definition of a user-to-user service, a search service, a Part 3 service and a regulated service.

(3) Part 3 imposes duties of care on providers of user-to-user services and search services and requires OFCOM to issue codes of practice about those duties.

(4) Part 4 imposes further duties on providers of user-to-user services and search services.

(5) Part 5 imposes duties on providers of internet services (including user-to-user services and search services) that publish certain pornographic content.

(6) Part 6, which imposes requirements to pay fees to OFCOM, applies to providers of internet services to which the duties in Part 3, 4 or 5 apply (“regulated services”).

(7) Part 7 is about OFCOM’s powers and duties in relation to regulated services (including powers to obtain information and enforcement powers).

(8) Part 8 is about appeals and complaints relating to regulated services.

(9) Part 9 is about the Secretary of State’s functions in relation to regulated services.

(10) Part 10 contains communications offences.

(11) Parts 11 and 12 contain supplementary provisions including an index of terms defined in this Act (see section 237).