Quick Profile Report: UK Online Safety Act 2023

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A. Funding

Primary Sources: DCMS (£30M+, 2023-2025 budget), Ofcom (£169M projected by 2025).  

Secondary Sources: EU DSA (£5M, 2023 standards influence).  

Motives: Safety (50%), control (40%), optics (10%).  

Evidence: GOV.UK budgets (2023) detail DCMS spend; Ofcom’s £56M by end-2023 (Ofcom report) funds staff/tech.

B. Connected Influencers

Key Players: NSPCC, Microsoft (£100M+ AI tools), Google (£50M+ filters).  

Influence Scale: NSPCC >15,000 mentions (child safety push); Microsoft/Google >10,000 mentions (X, 2023).  

Agendas: NSPCC seeks child protection laws; tech firms eye compliance profits.  

Ties To: NSPCC to DCMS via lobbying (2019-2023); Microsoft/Google to TechUK.  

Evidence: NSPCC’s Molly Russell campaign (BBC, 2017-2023); Microsoft’s DCMS deal (TechUK, 2023).

C. Authority in Charge

Lead Entity: Ofcom, regulates 25,000+ platforms.  

Key Figures: Michelle Donelan (ex-DCMS Sec, 2023), Lisa Nandy (Labour Culture Sec, 2024).  

Chain of Command: DCMS Secretary directs Ofcom via veto (Section 44, OSA 2023).  

Evidence: OSA text (2023) assigns Ofcom; Hansard (2023) logs Donelan’s push, Nandy’s £15M boost (2024).

D. Core Functions

What It Does: Mandates illegal content removal (e.g., CSAM), risk assessments for “harmful” content, age verification.  

Implementation: Ofcom codes issued Dec 2024; full enforcement Mar 17, 2025.  

Key Dates: Enacted Oct 26, 2023; codes Dec 2024; deadline Mar 2025.  

Scope: 25,000+ platforms, 130+ priority offences.  

Evidence: OSA Sections 9, 11, 25 (2023); Ofcom timeline (2024).

E. Risks to Individuals

• Primary Threats:  
  Speech Suppression: 8/10, 80% chance.  Privacy Erosion: 9/10, 85% chance.  Disproportionate Impact: 7/10, 70% chance.

Impact: Dissent muted; poor/state-educated over-moderated.  

Personal Cost: £100+ fines for noncompliance (e.g., X users); account bans.  

Mitigation Gaps: No encryption protections; vague “harm” definition.  

Evidence: EFF critique (2023); X muted accounts post-riots (2024).  

ALERT: 85% surveillance creep—encryption backdoors (Section 92).

F. Powers and Authority Granted

New Powers: £18M/10% turnover fines, site blocks, 2-year jail for execs.  

Recipients: Ofcom (fines, blocks); DCMS Secretary (code veto).  

Scope of Control: 25,000+ platforms, millions of users.  

Risk of Misuse: Fines could target dissent, 70% chance.  

Evidence: OSA Sections 8, 44, 129 (2023); POLITICO (2023) notes Ofcom scale.

G. Additional Insights

Intent: Control over safety, 90% chance—post-riot timing (2023-2024).  

Wider Impact: Trust in platforms erodes; small firms buckle under costs.  

Public Perception: X: 60% negative (Jan 2025), per muted account backlash.  

Opposition: Apple/Proton (encryption, 2023); 36 Tory MPs (e.g., Priti Patel, Guardian 2023).  

Related Schemes: Ties to Digital ID via Microsoft data tools.  

Evidence: X trends (2024); Apple’s OSA stance (2023).

H. Gaps and Next Steps

Data Gaps: 2025 enforcement stats missing—FOI to Ofcom.  

Suggested Sources

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