Ofcom

Online safety on the road! Ofcom experts have been out in the States this week to talk all things online safety at #TrustCon2024. Taking place in San Francisco, TrustCon is a global conference that brings together professionals working in the trust and safety space from across the world. Colleagues from Ofcom’s online safety, research and enforcement teams spoke on stage at the event about a range of issues central to our online safety work - including the effect of algorithms, children’s experiences of online harms and the importance of international co-operation among regulators. Other key themes emerging from the event included the advances in technology for content moderation, AI safety and the need for collaboration between trust and safety professionals and others working in the online world. And importantly, that regulation must be a floor for online safety - not the ceiling. With online safety being such a global issue, engaging with other organisations and professionals internationally is critical to our work to help people live safer lives online. Alexander Hall Dr Martha Kirby Kathryn Searle Shahyan Ahmad Kate Reynolds #OnlineSafety #Regulation

🔦 We'll be shining a light on online safety practices with our new transparency powers. For the first time in the UK, certain tech services will have to publish detailed information about the safety of their platforms for all to see. We'll also have information gathering powers. This will help us understand how effective tech firms' safety measures are and address specific concerns. For example, we'll have the ability to: 🏵️ remotely view how a platform’s algorithm works in real-time. 🔎 carry out an audit of a tech firm’s safety measures or features. We're consulting on draft guidance setting out our proposed approach to transparency and information gathering. Respond by 4 October 2024. Find out more here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e_s6pYmc

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Natalie Black CBE as Ofcom's new Group Director for Network and Communications. Natalie will be responsible for Ofcom’s work in the telecoms, post and network sectors, where our aim is to protect consumers and promote competition. She will join Ofcom's Board and also lead our work on the implications of Artificial Intelligence. Having held a number of senior positions in the civil service, Natalie was also the UK's first HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific. Commenting on Natalie's appointment, Ofcom Chief Executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, said: "I am delighted to welcome Natalie to Ofcom. She brings a wealth of leadership experience from both the UK and abroad, and her expertise in issues ranging from cyber security to online harms will be invaluable." Welcome to Ofcom, Natalie!

🚨 Latest telecoms and pay-TV complaints revealed: ▪️ NOW Broadband was the most complained-about broadband provider from January - March, while Sky and Shell Energy were joint least. ▪️ O2 remains the most complained-about mobile firm. ▪️ Virgin Media had most complaints for pay-TV, while Sky and EE had fewest. 🔗 Read more from the report here: https://lnkd.in/e4ERET7J Check how the providers compared. 👇

We've fined TikTok £1.875m for failing to accurately respond to a formal request for information about its parental controls safety feature. Delays in reporting an issue with the data to us disrupted publication of our child safety transparency report. It's our job to scrutinise platforms’ safety features, and gathering information is a critical part of holding tech firms to account. Our investigation uncovered failings in TikTok’s data governance processes. 🔗 Read about our findings here: https://lnkd.in/dCF2xSJQ

⚠️ Two in five people have seen at least one deepfake in the last six months – but only one in ten are confident in their ability to spot them. 🔎 Our research reveals the prevalence of online deepfakes, and the ways they can cause harm by demeaning, defrauding and disinforming people. In our new discussion paper, we explore what tech companies can do to tackle harmful deepfakes, and we’re working at pace to consult on how platforms should comply with their new duties under the Online Safety Act. Find out more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eJe6CCwX #AI #Deepfakes #OnlineSafety

🚨We have fined BT £17.5m, following a 999 emergency call outage that took place in June 2023. BT is the sole emergency call-handling provider in the UK. So when its services went down on 25 June 2023, the company notified Ofcom and we launched an investigation swiftly. Our investigation found 14,000 calls were missed in an outage lasting 10 and a half hours. BT was ill-prepared for such a catastrophic failure, which could have resulted in serious harm to members of the public. Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s Director of Enforcement, said: “Being able to contact the emergency services can mean the difference between life and death, so in the event of any disruption to their networks, providers must be ready to respond quickly and effectively. “In this case, BT fell woefully short of its responsibilities and was ill-prepared to deal with such a large-scale outage, putting its customers at unacceptable risk. “Today’s fine sends a broader warning to all firms -– if you’re not properly prepared to deal with disruption to your networks, we’ll hold you to strict account on behalf of consumers.” Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eAWU_vgc

📺🎙️ A busy media day for us as our Telecoms Policy Director Cristina Luna-Esteban spoke about our new rules banning mid-contract price rises linked to inflation. She appeared on BBC Radio 4, the Today Programme, Times Radio and Good Morning Scotland. 

We are banning mid-contract price rises linked to inflation for phone, broadband and pay-tv packages. From January 2025, UK phone, broadband and pay TV companies will no longer be able to link any mid-contract price rises to unpredictable and confusing changes to inflation. Under new Ofcom rules, customers will have to be told in pounds and pence any price rise written in a contract at the point of sale. Cristina Luna-Esteban, Ofcom Telecoms Policy Director, said: “We’re stepping in on behalf of phone, broadband and pay TV customers to stamp out this practice, so people can be certain of the price they will pay, compare deals more easily and take advantage of the competitive market we have in the UK.” Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ebhiguaA

'I've always wanted to contribute to something bigger and have a social purpose.'  📺✨ Watch our Senior Policy Manager Dr. Eleonora Maria Mazzoli share insights from her career journey so far. Does shaping the media landscape in a role like Eleonora's appeal to you? We've got vacancies for people with brilliant ideas and problem-solving skills to join us in our Broadcasting and Media team. We're looking for: 🌟 Policy Managers 🌟 Policy Advisors 🔗 Find out more on our careers page: https://lnkd.in/ejXqaz-e #Media #MediaJobs #Careers #Broadcasting #Policy #PolicyJobs