The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026
These Regulations, known as the Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026, are made by the Secretary of State under the authority of the Online Safety Act 2023 to bring specific provisions of that Act into force on April 7, 2026, primarily focusing on establishing the mandatory duty for providers of regulated user-to-user services to report Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content to the National Crime Agency, alongside related offenses, supplementary reporting requirements, and powers for the regulator to obtain information.
Arguments For
Establishes clear, mandated legal obligations for online platforms ('regulated user-to-user services') to report Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content to law enforcement, thereby enhancing child protection efforts.
Implements specific sections of the overarching Online Safety Act 2023, ensuring that crucial safety measures against CSEA are activated on schedule.
Creates a specific criminal offence related to failing in the mandatory CSEA reporting duties, adding necessary enforcement teeth to the regulatory framework.
Brings into force supplementary powers for the regulator (Ofcom) relating to obtaining necessary information and addressing extra-territorial application concerning CSEA offences.
Arguments Against
Implementation of these duties places significant new compliance and operational burdens on service providers, potentially increasing costs and complexity for regulated user-to-user platforms.
The commencement of specific detailed sections (like those related to admissibility of statements and skilled person reports) introduces new legal and procedural risks for platforms once the duties become active.
Linking multiple sections of the Act (including offenses enforcement and information gathering powers) specifically to the CSEA reporting duty concentrates regulatory focus and may divert resources from other online safety priorities.
The staggered commencement, as shown in the history notes, indicates ongoing shifts in implementation timing, which can create uncertainty for industry planning.
STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2026 No. 262 (C. 20)
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026
Made - - - -
9th March 2026
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 240(1) and (2) of the Online Safety Act 2023( 1 ).
These are Statutory Instruments, specifically the seventh set of commencement regulations detailing when parts of the Online Safety Act 2023 come into legal effect.
The Secretary of State created these Regulations using powers granted under sections 240(1) and (2) of the main Act.
They were officially made on March 9th, 2026.
Citation
- These Regulations may be cited as the Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026.
This regulation establishes the official short title by which these legal rules are referenced, confirming they are the seventh commencement regulations for the Online Safety Act 2023, enacted in 2026.
Provisions coming into force on 7th April 2026
-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the following provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 come into force on 7th April 2026-
(a) section 66(1) and (2) (requirement to report CSEA content: regulated user-to-user services);
(b) section 66(7) to (10) (requirement to report CSEA content: supplementary);
(c) section 69 (offence in relation to CSEA reporting);
(d) section 100(6)(a)(iii) (power to require information);
(e) section 104(13)(a)(xii) (reports by skilled persons);
(f) section 120(2)(a) (admissibility of statements);
(g) sections 199 to 203 (offences: supplementary and general) in respect of section 69;
(h) section 204(2) to (4) (extra-territorial application) in respect of section 69;
(i) section 205 (offences: extra-territorial application and jurisdiction) in respect of section 69;
(j) paragraph 12 of Schedule 8 (transparency reports: matters about which information may be required).
(2) The provisions referred to in sub-paragraphs (b) to (i) of paragraph (1) come into force only so far as they relate to regulated user-to-user services.
Section 2 specifies that several sections of the Online Safety Act 2023 become legally effective on April 7th, 2026, subject to a qualification in the next part.
These activated provisions primarily center around mandatory reporting obligations for Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content for services defined as 'regulated user-to-user services' (Section 66).
Also commencing are the related criminal offense for non-compliance (Section 69), supplementary provisions on offenses (Sections 199-203), powers for the regulator to demand information (Section 100), and rules governing admissibility of statements and reports by skilled persons (Sections 104 and 120).
Sub-paragraph (2) confirms that the supplementary provisions concerning offenses and extraterritorial application are only activated as they relate directly to the CSEA reporting requirements established in Section 66.
( 1 ) 2023 c. 50.
| Status: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format. | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Jess Phillips Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Home Office
9th March 2026
This part provides a footnote referencing the enabling Act (2023 c. 50) and notes that the text presented is the original version as made.
The instrument is authenticated by the signature of Jess Phillips, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office, dated March 9th, 2026.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations are the seventh commencement regulations made under the Online Safety Act 2023 (c. 50) ('the Act'). They bring into force the duty on providers of regulated user-to-user services to report Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ('CSEA') content to the National Crime Agency and the offence in relation to CSEA reporting under this duty. They also bring into force other provisions in relation to the duty and the offence, including provision conferring functions on the Office of Communications in relation to obtaining information and supplementary provision about offences under the Act.
A full impact assessment has been published in relation to the Act and copies can be obtained from the UK Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safetyact-enactment-impact-assessment or from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology at 22-26 Whitehall, London SW1A 2EG.
The Explanatory Note confirms that these regulations are the seventh commencement order for the Online Safety Act 2023.
Their main purpose is to activate the legal obligation for user-to-user services to report CSEA material to the National Crime Agency (NCA), along with the associated criminal offense for failing to do so.
These orders also activate ancillary provisions, granting the Office of Communications (Ofcom) powers to request necessary information and dealing with further provisions concerning offenses under the Act.
Details about the Act's overall impact assessment are provided for public reference.
NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT REGULATIONS
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
The following provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 have been brought into force by commencement regulations made before the date of these Regulations( 2 ).
| Provision | Date of Commencement | S.I. No. | |---|---|---| | section 7 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 8 to 17 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | Schedule 3 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 19 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 20 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 21 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 22 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 23 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 24 to 33 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 34 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 35 to 40 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 41 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 49 to 51 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 52 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| Provision | Date of Commencement | S.I. No. | |---|---|---| | section 53 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 54 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 65 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 67 and 68 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 72 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 73 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 76 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 77 and 78 and Schedule 8 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 80 (partially) and Schedule 9 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 81 | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 | | sections 83 to 89 and Schedule 10 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 92 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 95 to 97 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 100 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 100 (partially) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 | | section 101 | 1st April 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 102 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 102 (remainder) | 1st April 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 103 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 104 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 104 (partially) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 | | sections 105 to 108 and Schedule 12 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 109 to 113 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 114 (partially) | 22nd November 2023 | 2023/1242 | | section 114 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 118 and 119 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 120 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 121 to 128 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 130 to 135 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 136 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 136 (remainder) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 | | section 137 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| Provision | Date of Commencement | S.I. No. | |---|---|---| | section 138 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 138 (remainder) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 | | sections 139 to 150 and Schedule 13 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 152 and 153 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 154 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 155 to 159 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 161 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 162 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 163 to 168 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 171 to 178 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 179 to 191 and Schedule 14 | 31st January 2024 | 2024/31 | | section 192 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 195 to 198 and Schedule 15 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 199 to 203 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 204 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 205 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 206 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 208 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 209 and Schedule 16 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 210 | 25th July 2025 | 2025/888 | | section 211 and Schedule 17 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 213 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | sections 215 to 218 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 | | section 220 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
This extensive note provides historical context by listing all sections of the Online Safety Act 2023 that were brought into force by previous commencement regulations.
Most of these earlier activations occurred on January 10th, 2024, via Statutory Instrument 2023/1420, covering many foundational regulatory and enforcement powers.
This schedule helps track the phased implementation approach of the Act, showing that complex provisions, such as those related to Ofcom's powers (sections 100, 104, 136, 138) and advertising boycotts (section 210), have required multiple commencement orders across several years.