New Ofcom Report Highlights Online Harms to Children

Ofcom has published its first statutory report on online content harmful to children, as required under the Online Safety Act 2023.

The report looks at children’s exposure to harmful content on regulated online services and the impact this can have on their wellbeing.

Key findings include:

• Most children surveyed had encountered at least one piece of harmful content online within a four-week period.
• There was no significant change in the proportion of children encountering harmful content during the first nine months following the introduction of the children’s safety duties in July 2025.
• Children continue to report that harmful online content can negatively affect their wellbeing.
• Ofcom recommends that body stigma and depression-related content are added to the Act’s category of priority content harmful to children.

The report may be of particular interest to subgroup members working around online safety, safeguarding, early intervention and children and young people’s wellbeing.

Read the full Ofcom report here.