Chapter 6Codes of practice and guidance
In Part 3 – Providers of regulated user-to-user services and regulated search services: duties of care
- Section 41Codes of practice about duties
(1) OFCOM must prepare and issue a code of practice for providers of Part 3 services describing measures recommended for the purpose of compliance with duties set out…
- Section 42Codes of practice: principles, objectives, content
Schedule 4 contains— (a) provision about the principles OFCOM must consider when preparing codes of practice under section 41 , (b) the online safety objectives (and a power…
- Section 43Procedure for issuing codes of practice
(1) Where OFCOM have prepared a draft of a code of practice under section 41 , they must submit the draft to the Secretary of State. (2) Unless…
- Section 44Secretary of State’s powers of direction
(1) The Secretary of State may direct OFCOM to modify a draft of a code of practice submitted under section 43(1) if the Secretary of State believes that…
- Section 45Procedure for issuing codes of practice following direction under section 44
(1) This section sets out the procedure that applies where a draft of a code of practice is laid before Parliament under section 44(12) . (2) If the…
- Section 46Publication of codes of practice
(1) OFCOM must publish each code of practice issued under section 43 or 45 within the period of three days beginning with the day on which it is…
- Section 47Review of codes of practice
(1) OFCOM must keep under review each code of practice published under section 46 . (2) The Secretary of State may require OFCOM to review a terrorism or…
- Section 48Minor amendments of codes of practice
(1) This section applies if— (a) OFCOM propose to amend a code of practice under section 41 , and (b) OFCOM consider that the minor nature of the…
- Section 49Relationship between duties and codes of practice
Duties set out in Chapters 2 and 3 (1) A provider of a Part 3 service is to be treated as complying with a relevant duty if the…
- Section 50Effects of codes of practice
(1) A failure by a provider of a Part 3 service to act in accordance with a provision of a code of practice does not of itself make…
- Section 51Duties and the first codes of practice
(1) A duty mentioned in subsection (3) applies to providers of Part 3 services from the day on which a code of practice prepared under section 41(3) that…
- Section 52OFCOM’s guidance about certain duties in Part 3
(1) OFCOM must produce guidance for providers of Category 1 services to assist them in complying with their duties set out in section 14 (assessments related to the…
- Section 53OFCOM’s guidance: content that is harmful to children and user empowerment
(1) OFCOM must produce guidance for providers of Part 3 services which contains examples of content or kinds of content that OFCOM consider to be, or consider not…
- Section 54OFCOM’s guidance about protecting women and girls
(1) OFCOM must produce guidance for providers of Part 3 services which focuses on content and activity— (a) in relation to which such providers have duties set out…
https://osa.digiphile.law/part/part-3-chapter-6.html
Text as at 19 September 2026.
This is an unofficial convenience version of the Online Safety Act 2023. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in September 2026.