Handley Gill
LEGAL & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE CONSULTANTS

Online Safety, Content moderation & Regulation

As the Online Safety Bill progresses and the Digital Services Act comes into force, platforms and publishers need to ensure that they have in place robust systems to identify, assess and manage user generated content risk, with mechanisms for the removal of unlawful or harmful content. At Handley Gill, we support organisations to understand their obligations and implement compliance frameworks.

Children's Access Assessments

-

Children's Risk Assessments

-

Terms & Conditions

-

Age Assurance

-

Illegal Content Risk Assessments

-

Safety Duties

-

Community Standards

-

Content Moderation Policies

-

Complaints & Disputes

-

Regulatory Enforcement

-

Training

-

Children's Access Assessments - Children's Risk Assessments - Terms & Conditions - Age Assurance - Illegal Content Risk Assessments - Safety Duties - Community Standards - Content Moderation Policies - Complaints & Disputes - Regulatory Enforcement - Training -

Online Safety, Content Moderation & Regulation

Safe-harbour provisions intended to protect online hosts and other intermediaries from liability in respect of third party and user generated content are being gradually chipped away. Liability for data protection, defamation and other unlawful content can now befall organisations which fail to impose appropriate monitoring and moderation of content, or don’t respond swiftly and effectively when faced with a complaint.

First the EU’s Digital Services Act and now the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 only serve to expand the scope of organisations who need to take these issues into account, and increase the obligations on affected organisations, bringing additional regulation, complexity and cost.

We advise organisations on their obligations, assist them to put in place appropriate procedures, and advise on their responses to specific decisions and complaints, balancing competing principles and rights.

We also engage with organisations in relation to what forthcoming legislation could mean for their organisation, and support them in their lobbying efforts.

Access our Online Safety and Online Harms Resources page.

Follow our dedicated online safety Twitter/X account.

Featured
Trumped?
Trumped?

This Safer Internet Day 2025, Handley Gill considers recent developments and reports on the UK government’s policy stance on the regulation of Big Tech and how Labour’s ambitions have been tempered since President Trump’s inauguration, particularly in relation to online safety and artificial intelligence, and even pandering to AI developers by taking steps toward reforming copyright laws restricting data mining for AI training.

Mum's the Word!
Mum's the Word!

As the deadline for online services to conduct an illegal harms risk assessment/illegal content risk assessment under the Online Safety Act 2023 approaches, Handley Gill’s specialist online safety consultants consider the implications of the posting of illegal content on popular online forum Mumsnet for online services subject to the online safety regime and the efficacy of the regime for preventing users from encountering illegal content in light of Ofcom’s guidance.

Back on the Data Protection Reform Merry-Go-Round
Back on the Data Protection Reform Merry-Go-Round

The new Labour government has today (23 October 2024) introduced the Data (Use and Access) Bill in the House of Lords, in the latest attempt to reform the UK’s data protection laws as set out in the UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, Data Protection Act 1998 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.

Not so instant compliance
Not so instant compliance

As Meta announces the introduction of Instagram Teen Accounts for users in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, Handley Gill’s specialist data protection and online trust and safety consultants consider the global laws and regulations that have spurred this change, and the role of the Information Commissioner’s Children’s Code aka the Age Appropriate Design Code, the UK Online Safety Act 2023, the US’ Kids Online Safety Act (‘KOSA’) and the Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Act (‘COPPA 2.0’).

Another bauble for the tree?
Another bauble for the tree?

The UK government has today (05 September 2024) joined the US, EU and other countries in signing the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. Handley Gill’s specialist artificial intelligence (AI) consultants consider the implications of this statement of intent for the UK’s current and proposed legislation as announced in the King’s Speech 2024, and what new laws and amendments will be necessary to enable the UK to meet the AI Treaty’s obligations.