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A new era in online safety?

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What do global companies need to know about the Online Safety Act 2023? Lucy Blake, Joanna Ludlam, Will Jones & Karam Jardaneh explain
  • The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 imposes sweeping duties on online platforms—including non-UK companies—to manage illegal and harmful content, with penalties up to £18m or 10% of global turnover.
  • Ofcom wields strong enforcement powers, including fines, blocking access to non-compliant services, and criminal liability for executives.

The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is ushering in a transformative era in digital regulation—one that will be felt far beyond the UK’s borders. Coming into effect in stages throughout 2025, the legislation redefines how online platforms must address illegal and harmful content, raising the bar for safety and accountability across the internet.

Friday 25 July 2025 marks a critical moment in the Act’s implementation, as key provisions, including child safety duties and enforcement guidance, begin to take practical effect. It is arguably a moment of global reckoning for digital

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NEWS
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
In a striking financial remedies ruling, the High Court cut a wife’s award by 40% for coercive and controlling behaviour. Writing in NLJ this week, Chris Bryden and Nicole Wallace of 4 King’s Bench Walk analyse LP v MP [2025] EWFC 473
A €60.9m award to Kylian Mbappé has refocused attention on football’s controversial ‘ethics bonus’ clauses. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines how such provisions sit within French labour law

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

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