By Andy Lulham

Online safeguarding has taken a bold leap forward; combining strong enforcement with ongoing innovation in safeguarding measures will make a safer internet a reality.

On Friday, 25th July, the UK turned the corner on online safety as Ofcom’s deadline for age verification came into force. It was a Big Bang moment for the regulator and the Online Safety Act; in the first weekend, millions of age checks were logged on sites that host or share adult content as the media rushed to deliver their verdict on implementation. Six weeks on, the noise that accompanied ‘AV Day’ has died down significantly, and age checks are quickly becoming the new normal.

These safeguards are already reshaping how young people experience the digital world for the better. Through widespread adoption of methods like email-based or facial-age estimation, platforms can not only determine if visitors are old enough to access adult content but also deter underage users from chancing their arm or stumbling across it accidentally. This is critical, especially as new data from the

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