Day One, 3
FebNew online safety obligations and what you need to know
14:30 – 15:30 (GMT): A safer life online – our expectations for 2025: opening remarks from Dame Melanie Dawes and industry panel
Ofcom’s CEO outlines the changes we expect from industry to keep people safe online, our expectations for the year ahead, and what we are doing to support online services with compliance.
Our industry panel will share their approach to online safety and insights from a range of sectors
Session highlights:
- Opening remarks from Ofcom CEO, Dame Melanie Dawes
- Industry panel session (panellists to be announced)
- Q&A – send us your questions in advance or ask online
15:45 – 16:10 (GMT): Headlines and deadlines: Are you track to meet the new online safety duties?
This session provides a snapshot of upcoming duties and deadlines in 2025. You will hear about immediate actions to take, Ofcom’s priorities and what’s coming up in the next phase this spring. We will also outline what to expect from this conference and how each session can support you.
Session highlights:
- Introduction: Ofcom’s approach to implementing the Online Safety Act
- What to do now… six weeks and counting!
- The next phase: deadlines April to July
- How our sessions this week can help you
16:15 – 17:15 (GMT): Online harm, our policy decisions and enforcement: Ofcom’s approach to the first phase of regulation
This session provides an overview of some important areas of illegal harm online and Ofcom’s policy decisions on how to tackle them. You will hear examples from our subject matter experts of the human cost of harms that drives our approach, how we have responded, and next steps for illegal harms. We introduce our approach to enforcement and how Ofcom will take action as duties come into force.
Session highlights:
- Snapshot of harm online: hear from Ofcom’s subject matter experts
- Illegal harms recommendations and where to find more information
- Children’s access assessments and highly effective age assurance – key decisions
- How these policies will be implemented and enforced
- Q&A - send us your questions in advance or ask online