Online Safety Act 2023 Commencement Regulations (CSEA Content)

UK New Legislation

Published March 9th, 2026

Detected March 12th, 2026

Summary

The UK Secretary of State has issued the Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026, bringing into force provisions related to the reporting of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content. These regulations apply to regulated user-to-user services and establish an offence in relation to CSEA reporting, effective April 7, 2026.

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What changed

These regulations, made on March 9, 2026, bring into force key provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023, specifically sections related to the mandatory reporting of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content by regulated user-to-user services to the National Crime Agency. The commencement date for these provisions, including the offence related to CSEA reporting, is April 7, 2026. This action also activates supplementary provisions concerning offences and the powers of Ofcom to obtain information.

Providers of regulated user-to-user services must ensure their systems and processes are compliant with the new CSEA content reporting obligations by April 7, 2026. Failure to comply may result in offences being committed. Companies should review their content moderation policies and reporting mechanisms to align with the Act's requirements and prepare for potential information requests from the Office of Communications (Ofcom).

What to do next

Implement procedures for reporting CSEA content to the National Crime Agency by April 7, 2026.
Review and update content moderation policies to comply with the Online Safety Act 2023 requirements.
Ensure staff are trained on CSEA reporting obligations and related offences.

Penalties

Offences in relation to CSEA reporting are established under section 69 of the Act.

Source document (simplified)

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.

Statutory Instruments

2026 No. 262 (C. 20)

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026

Made

9th March 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 240(1) and (2) of the Online Safety Act 2023(1).

Citation

These Regulations may be cited as the Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2026.

Provisions coming into force on 7th April 2026

—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the following provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 come into force on 7th April 2026—

(a) section 66(1) and (2) (requirement to report CSEA content: regulated user-to-user services);

(b) section 66(7) to (10) (requirement to report CSEA content: supplementary);

(d) section 100(6)(a)(iii) (power to require information);

(e) section 104(13)(a)(xii) (reports by skilled persons);

(f) section 120(2)(a) (admissibility of statements);

(g) sections 199 to 203 (offences: supplementary and general) in respect of section 69;

(h) section 204(2) to (4) (extra-territorial application) in respect of section 69;

(i) section 205 (offences: extra-territorial application and jurisdiction) in respect of section 69;

(j) paragraph 12 of Schedule 8 (transparency reports: matters about which information may be required).

(2) The provisions referred to in sub-paragraphs (b) to (i) of paragraph (1) come into force only so far as they relate to regulated user-to-user services.

Jess Phillips

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

9th March 2026

Home Office

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations are the seventh commencement regulations made under the Online Safety Act 2023 (c. 50) (“ the Act ”). They bring into force the duty on providers of regulated user-to-user services to report Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (“ CSEA ”) content to the National Crime Agency and the offence in relation to CSEA reporting under this duty. They also bring into force other provisions in relation to the duty and the offence, including provision conferring functions on the Office of Communications in relation to obtaining information and supplementary provision about offences under the Act.

A full impact assessment has been published in relation to the Act and copies can be obtained from the UK Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-enactment-impact-assessment or from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology at 22-26 Whitehall, London SW1A 2EG.

NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT Regulations

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The following provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 have been brought into force by commencement regulations made before the date of these Regulations(2).

| Provision | Date of Commencement | S.I. No. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| section 7 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 8 to 17 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| Schedule 3 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 19 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 20 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 21 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 22 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 23 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 24 to 33 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 34 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 35 to 40 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 41 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 49 to 51 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 52 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 53 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 54 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 65 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 67 and 68 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 72 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 73 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 76 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 77 and 78 and Schedule 8 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 80 (partially) and Schedule 9 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 81 | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 |
| sections 83 to 89 and Schedule 10 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 92 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 95 to 97 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 100 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 100 (partially) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 |
| section 101 | 1st April 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 102 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 102 (remainder) | 1st April 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 103 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 104 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 104 (partially) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 |
| sections 105 to 108 and Schedule 12 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 109 to 113 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 114 (partially) | 22nd November 2023 | 2023/1242 |
| section 114 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 118 and 119 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 120 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 121 to 128 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 130 to 135 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 136 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 136 (remainder) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 |
| section 137 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 138 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 138 (remainder) | 17th January 2025 | 2024/1333 |
| sections 139 to 150 and Schedule 13 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 152 and 153 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 154 (remainder) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 155 to 159 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 161 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 162 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 163 to 168 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 171 to 178 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 179 to 191 and Schedule 14 | 31st January 2024 | 2024/31 |
| section 192 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 195 to 198 and Schedule 15 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 199 to 203 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 204 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 205 (partially) | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 206 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 208 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 209 and Schedule 16 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 210 | 25th July 2025 | 2025/888 |
| section 211 and Schedule 17 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 213 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| sections 215 to 218 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
| section 220 | 10th January 2024 | 2023/1420 |
(1) 2023 c. 50.

(2) The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 5) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/371 (C. 13)) (“ the Regulations ”) were revoked by the Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 5) (Revocation) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1064 (C. 51)) before the date on which provisions to be commenced by the Regulations would have been so commenced.