Ofcom: UK children's harmful content exposure unchanged after first year of safety duties

UK media regulator Ofcom published its first statutory review of platform child safety duties on 22 October 2026, nine months after those duties took effect. The proportion of UK children encountering harmful content online has not significantly changed — and personalised algorithmic feeds remain the top documented route children reach that content. Ofcom is recommending Parliament extend protections to body image and depression content; this is a recommendation to legislators, not yet a requirement on platforms.