On November 8, 2024, the UK’s communications regulator, the Office of Communications (“Ofcom”) published an open letter to online service providers operating in the UK regarding the Online Safety Act (“OSA”) and generative AI (the “Open Letter”). In the Open Letter, Ofcom reminds online service providers that generative AI tools, such as chatbots and search assistants may fall within the scope of regulated services under the OSA. More recently, Ofcom also published several pieces of guidance (some of which are under consultation) that include further commentary on how the OSA applies to generative AI services.Continue Reading Ofcom Explains How the UK Online Safety Act Will Apply to Generative AI
Further Regulation of Illegal Advertising: UK Government Publishes Response to its Online Advertising Programme Consultation
The UK Government has announced plans to introduce new rules on online advertising for online platforms, intermediaries, and publishers. The aim is to prevent illegal advertising and to introduce additional protections against harmful online ads for under-18s. Full details are set out in its recently published response (“Response”) to the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s 2022 Online Advertising Programme Consultation (“Consultation”).
The new rules would sit alongside the proposed UK Online Safety Bill (“OSB”), which addresses rules on user-generated content (see our previous blog here). Since the EU’s Digital Services Act (which starts to apply from February 2024, see our previous blog here) will not apply in the UK following Brexit, the OSB and any new rules following this Response, form the UK’s approach to regulating these matters, as distinct from the EU.Continue Reading Further Regulation of Illegal Advertising: UK Government Publishes Response to its Online Advertising Programme Consultation