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UK’s Online Safety Act: Implications for global digital services

In this photo illustration, the age-restriction warning screen of the website PornHub is displayed on a digital screen, on January 16, 2025 in London, England.
Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images

A defining feature of the Online Safety Act is its extraterritorial application: a service need not be established in the UK to fall within its scope.

The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act (OSA or the Act), which received Royal Assent in October 2023, establishes a new statutory framework to address harmful online content, protect children, and promote accountability among digital service providers. For counsel advising platforms, publishers, and other organizations operating in the digital space,

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