Ofcom has launched a digital toolkit to help businesses comply with new online safety rules. The communication and broadcasting regulator says it is the first in a series of digital support initiatives aiming to help online service providers to meet their responsibilities under the Online Safety Act.

The tool offers a guide that online services can follow to help them complete an assessment for the risks of illegal content on their platforms. It will also help them to comply with additional safety, record-keeping and review duties.

The tool is for providers of services that allow users to generate, share and upload content (which the regulation refers to as user-to-user services) and search services. It has been designed with small and medium-sized businesses in mind but Ofcom says it could be useful to any organisation that falls under the Online Safety Act.

The tool is divided into four steps based on Ofcom’s risk assessment guidance. Step 1 will help services to understand which kinds of illegal content to assess and to make accurate judgments about the risks. Step 2 sets out how to assess the risk of harm from each kind of priority illegal content on a service, and other illegal content, and step 3 helps to identify any relevant measures that can be implemented to address risk, record any measures the service has taken, and make a record of their assessment.

The final stage helps services to understand how to keep their risk assessment up to date and put in place steps to review it.

Based on the answers a service provides when using the toolkit, they will be provided with recommendations on how to comply with the new online safety rules which come into full effect in March 2025. The tool has been designed to give an overview of how risks of different kinds of illegal harm could arise on a service and what safety measures it needs to put in place to protect its users.

Ofcom has the power to fine companies up to £18m or 10% of their qualifying worldwide revenue – whichever is greater – and in very serious cases can apply for a court order to block a site in the UK. Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief executive, said: “For too long, sites and apps have been unregulated, unaccountable and unwilling to prioritise people’s safety over profits. The safety spotlight is now firmly on tech firms and it’s time for them to act.

“We’ll be watching the industry closely to ensure firms match up to the strict safety standards set for them under our first codes and guidance, with further requirements to follow swiftly in the first half of next year. Those that come up short can expect Ofcom to use the full extent of our enforcement powers against them.”

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