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Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has imposed a GBP 950 000 penalty on the provider of an online suicide discussion forum for continuing failures under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA). The decision marks a further expansion of the OSA enforcement beyond pornography and age-assurance obligations (see IRIS 2026-1:1/25, IRIS 2026-3:1/10 and IRIS 2026-4:1/3) into the Act’s illegal-content duties concerning content that may encourage or assist suicide. Ofcom has not named the forum or provider because of the nature of the service. The regulator says the forum had been cited in connection...

On 29 April, the Commission adopted a recommendation enabling all EU citizens to use anonymous tools to verify their age, while guaranteeing a high level of privacy and data protection. The recommendation is based on a simple observation: age verification is becoming increasingly important in everyday life. The Commission places particular emphasis on the protection of minors from illegal or harmful content, cyberbullying, grooming, the risks of addiction and other problematic uses of digital services. There are already several European rules protecting minors online, including the Digital...

On 29 April, the European Commission made a preliminary finding that the Meta platforms (Instagram and Facebook) were not complying with the Digital Services Act (DSA), as they were failing to take the necessary measures to prevent minors under the age of 13 from accessing their services. These conclusions follow a formal procedure opened by the Commission in May 2024. They are also based on the 2025 guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA. The minimum age for accessing Meta platforms is set at 13. However, despite the measures put in place, nothing really prevents a minor under...

On 19 March 2026, Ofcom determined that the online discussion platform 4chan had failed to comply with section 12 of the Online Safety Act 2023 (the Act) by not using effective age assurance systems to prevent children from encountering pornographic content. In addition to the penalty imposed, if matters were not corrected by 1 April 2026, a daily penalty of GBP 500 would be imposed, for a maximum of 60 days, starting from the day after the compliance deadline. In addition, Ofcom determined that 4chan had failed, and continued to fail, to comply with its duty under section 9(2) of the Act to...

The Italian Communications Authority (Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni - AGCOM) has published a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the Guidelines and Code of Conduct for influencers adopted by Resolution No. 197/25/CONS. The document focuses in particular on three key areas: transparency of commercial communications, protection of minors, and user protection (see IRIS 2025-8:1/22, 2025-1:1/18 and 2024-2:1/26). Although not legally binding, the FAQs constitute an important interpretative tool, providing practical guidance...