Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Legislation

18 statutory instruments made by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, newest first. Each one is explained section by section in plain English.

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2025

Published: Fri 21st Nov 25

The Regulations formally commenced most of Part 2 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, establishing the framework for digital verification services, effective 1st December 2025.


These Regulations officially bring into force key provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 related to digital verification services across the United Kingdom, setting the commencement date for most of Part 2, excluding sections 45 to 48 which cover public authority information sharing, to 1st December 2025, exercising powers granted under section 142(1) of the same Act.

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The Online Safety Act 2023 (Fees) (Threshold Figure) Regulations 2025

Published: Thu 20th Nov 25 Came into force: Thu 11th Dec 25

The regulations specified the threshold figure for Online Safety Act 2023 fees as £250 million, effective for the charging year commencing April 1, 2026, and extended across the UK.


These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State following advice from Ofcom under the powers granted by the Online Safety Act 2023, establish the "threshold figure" at £250 million.

This figure determines which providers of regulated online services must notify Ofcom and pay fees to cover the regulator's online safety functions, with the threshold taking effect from the charging year beginning on 1st April 2026.

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The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2025

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2025 brought into force section 124 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, amending the Online Safety Act 2023 regarding data retention for child death investigations.


These regulations, enacted under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, bring into force section 124 on September 30, 2025.

This section amends the Online Safety Act 2023, requiring providers of certain regulated online services to retain information related to child death investigations.

The regulations are the second set issued under the 2025 Act, and an impact assessment referencing a prior assessment was published on the UK Government website.

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The Online Safety Super-Complaints (Eligibility and Procedural Matters) Regulations 2025

Published: Fri 25th Jul 25 Came into force: Wed 31st Dec 25

The Online Safety Super-Complaints (Eligibility and Procedural Matters) Regulations 2025 were enacted, establishing eligibility criteria and procedures for super-complaints regarding online safety to OFCOM.


These regulations, effective December 31, 2025, govern the submission of super-complaints regarding online safety to OFCOM under the Online Safety Act 2023.

They define eligibility criteria for entities submitting complaints, specifying requirements for supporting evidence and the information to be included in the complaints.

The regulations also outline grounds for rejecting complaints, procedures for OFCOM's response, and restrictions on complaint submissions.

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The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025

These regulations commenced specific provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 on August 20, 2025, including those related to data access, data protection amendments, the Information Commission, and online safety.


The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025 bring into force various sections of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, effective August 20, 2025.

These sections cover aspects such as access to customer and business data, amendments to the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, the establishment of the Information Commission, and provisions related to online safety, eIDAS regulations, copyright, and AI. The regulations specify which subsections of each section come into force, and their geographical extent across the UK.

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The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025

Section 210 of the Online Safety Act 2023 was brought into force, repealing Part 4B of the Communications Act 2003 and ending a transition period for online video-sharing platforms.


These regulations bring into force section 210 of the Online Safety Act 2023 on July 25, 2025.

This section repeals Part 4B of the Communications Act 2003, ending a transition period that began in January 2024.

The change puts video-sharing platforms under the Online Safety Act's updated duties of care.

The regulations apply across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

A full impact assessment is available.

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The Meteorological Office Trading Fund (Maximum Borrowing) (Revocation and Saving) Order 2025

Published: Mon 14th Jul 25 Came into force: Mon 4th Aug 25

The Order revoked the 2024 amendment to the Meteorological Office Trading Fund's borrowing limit, while preserving the amended £400,000,000 limit.


The Meteorological Office Trading Fund (Maximum Borrowing) (Revocation and Saving) Order 2025 revokes the 2024 Order that increased the Meteorological Office's borrowing limit to £400,000,000.

However, this revocation includes a saving provision that maintains the £400,000,000 limit.

The 2024 Order was laid before both Houses of Parliament, despite only needing House of Commons approval; this Order corrects that procedural error while preventing any reduction in the borrowing ceiling.

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The Electronic Communications (Networks and Services) (Designated Vendor Directions) (Penalties) Order 2025

The order clarified penalty calculations for non-compliance with designated vendor directions and amended the 2003 Order to reflect changes from the 2021 Act.


The Electronic Communications (Networks and Services) (Designated Vendor Directions) (Penalties) Order 2025 clarifies the calculation of penalties for non-compliance with designated vendor directions under the Communications Act 2003.

It specifies the relevant business activities to be included in turnover calculations for penalty purposes and amends the Electronic Communications (Networks and Services) (Penalties) (Rules for Calculation of Turnover) Order 2003 to replace references to "notified provider" with "person." This ensures consistency with the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 and provides a clearer framework for penalty enforcement.

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