Ofcom finalises rules to protect children online

Ofcom finalises rules to protect children online Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes said it was a "gamechanger" but critics say the restrictions do not go far enough and were "a bitter pill to swallow". Any site which hosts pornography, or content which encourages self-harm, suicide or eating disorders must have robust age checks in place to protect children from accessing that content. Sites must adhere to Ofcom's new regulations - known as the Children's Codes - by 25 July and will be required to instate age verification checks and change algorithm recommendations to continue operating in the UK. Social media platforms and websites will be legally required to protect children from accessing harmful content online or risk facing fines, the communications watchdog has said. Ian Russell, chairman of the Molly Rose Foundation, which was set up in honour of his daughter who took her own life aged 14, said he was "dismayed by the lack of ambition" in the codes. But Dame Melanie told BBC R ... Read full article.