The Online Safety Act 2023 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed on 26 October 2023. It establishes duties for online platforms to act against illegal content and content that could harm children where children are likely to encounter it.

The Act also requires age checks for access to online pornography. It gives Ofcom powers that include blocking access to particular websites. Platforms that fail to meet relevant duties can face fines of up to £18 million or 10% of their annual turnover, whichever is higher.

Relevance to the reported ban

The government has announced that certain pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation, incestuous relationships, or adults pretending to be children will be illegal from 6 November. The news report says the End Violence Against Women Coalition urged ministers to update the Online Safety Act so platforms would be required to remove this content. The reported request for an update is distinct from the Act’s existing online safety duties.