Ofcom confirms platform crisis protocols under UK Online Safety Act
Online platforms could face new Ofcom requirements for emergency content moderation.
UK communications regulator Ofcom has set out new crisis response measures aimed at helping online platforms respond when illegal content and content harmful to children spreads rapidly during emergencies.
The measures will be added to Ofcom’s Illegal Content Codes of Practice and Protection of Children Codes of Practice under the UK’s Online Safety Act. However, they must still complete the parliamentary process before taking effect.
Ofcom said ordinary content moderation systems may not be sufficient during exceptional events, such as public disorder, terrorist attacks, or other crises that lead to a sudden increase in harmful or illegal online activity. The regulator pointed to the violent riots that followed the 2024 Southport murders and the risk of terrorist attacks being livestreamed as examples of crises where online content can threaten public safety.
Under the measures, service providers should prepare and apply crisis protocols to manage significant increases in relevant illegal content or content harmful to children. Ofcom expects providers to deploy temporary response teams as soon as possible during a crisis, record key decisions and conduct post-crisis reviews to assess whether their response was effective.
Large platforms should also maintain dedicated communication channels for law enforcement agencies to share crisis-related information. Ofcom said the measures are intended to support faster and more coordinated public safety efforts during exceptional events.
The regulator consulted on crisis response protocols in 2025 and said further decisions on additional online safety measures are expected in autumn 2026.
Why does it matter?
The measures show how online safety regulation is moving from general content moderation duties towards operational crisis governance. In emergencies, platforms may face sudden spikes in illegal content, livestreamed harm or coordinated activity that ordinary moderation systems cannot manage quickly enough. Ofcom’s approach also formalises closer crisis-time coordination between large platforms and law enforcement, raising important questions about public safety, platform accountability, due process and safeguards under the UK Online Safety Act.
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