Online Safety Act 2023: Implementation

ANALYSIS\n-----------\n\nThe Parliamentary Written Statement on the "Online Safety Act 2023: Implementation" communicated substantial progress in the UK's online safety regulatory framework. The address, delivered in the House of Commons, elucidated the forthcoming execution stages, encompassing policies, technical terminology, and regulatory acts.\n\n### Structure and Main Content\nThe proceeding primarily delineated two focal areas: Ofcom's draft codes of practice for illegal content duties and categorisation thresholds for services under the Online Safety Act. Both are pivotal in actualizing the UK's comprehensive online safety strategy.\n\n### Policy Terms, Legislation Names, and Technical Terminology\n- Online Safety Act 2023: The legislative framework aimed at regulating online safety.\n- Ofcom: Regulator responsible for drafting and enforcing codes of practice.\n- Categorisation and Threshold Conditions: Frameworks determining additional duties for services based on size and user engagement.\n- Illegal Content Duties: Obligations for services to mitigate and manage illegal content.\n\n### Named Entities\n- Secretary of State: Peter Kyle; responsible for implementing threshold conditions based on Ofcom's advice.\n- Ofcom: Operational body executing and enforcing the Act’s provisions.\n- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Police: Entities involved in reporting fraudulent activities.\n\n### Numerical Data and Statistics\n- Categorisation Threshold:\n - Category 1: Services with 34 million+ monthly UK users.\n - Category 2A: Search services with 7 million+ monthly users.\n - Category 2B: User-to-user services with 3 million+ monthly users.\n\n### References to Acts, Amendments, and Procedures\n- Schedule 11 of the Act: Guideline for setting threshold conditions.\n- Royal Assent: A necessary procedural milestone.\n- The change in focus for Category 1 services from potential harm to ease and speed of content dissemination.\n\n### Related Parliamentary Business\n- Discussion over potential subsequent consultations by Ofcom in 2025 for further code measures enhancement.\n\n### Political Positions and Policy Stances\n- Emphasis on an "evidence-based process" and need for swift, "proportionate" regulatory implementation.\n- Awareness of concerns regarding "small but risky" services, reflecting nuanced policymaking for different service categories.\n\n### Department Names and Governmental Bodies\n- Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Implied oversight on media regulation.\n\n### Key Dates and Timeframes\n- Codes of practice initiation 21 days post parliamentary non-objection.\n- Full implementation roadmap by Summer 2025.\n- Transparency reporting launched soon after the service register publication.\n