Ofcom’s new CSEA reporting duty for UK platforms takes effect on 7 April

A new Ofcom-linked reporting duty for UK platforms took effect on 7 April, requiring many user-to-user services to report detected and unreported child sexual exploitation and abuse content to the National Crime Agency.

Ofcom said the duty applies to most in-scope services under the Online Safety Act. Services must use the NCA’s Child Sexual Exploitation & Abuse Industry Reporting Portal, unless they report to an equivalent body outside the UK.

The regulator set out the rules in March and said the change starts on 7 April 2026. In its March bulletin, Ofcom also urged platforms to keep strengthening age checks and other child-safety controls as the wider online safety regime is rolled out.

The UK Parliament’s statutory instrument record shows the relevant regulations were laid on 12 March 2026, matching Ofcom’s compliance timetable.

The new duty is a significant compliance step for platforms that host user-generated content, because it turns child-protection reporting into an active legal obligation rather than a voluntary practice.

Ofcom’s guidance says companies should make sure their reporting processes are ready now and that they continue to improve age assurance and other safeguards for children.

The latest change is part of the broader implementation of the Online Safety Act, with the reporting duty now in force.