Ofcom is inviting views on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the experience of telecoms customers. “As the communications regulator, we have a role to play in supporting responsible innovation and the adoption of new technologies, where they can benefit people and businesses. While the use of AI is not new for the telecoms sector, there […]
Ofcom is launching a consultation on its proposed code of practice setting out the recommended actions that connected TV (CTV) providers can take to ensure that public service broadcasters’ (PSBs) online players, and the public service content and public service channels they include, are prominent on their platforms. The code of practice also includes recommendations […]
The UK’s independent online safety watchdog, Ofcom, has opened a formal investigation into X under the UK’s Online Safety Act, to determine whether it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK. Ofcom notes that there have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok […]
Ofcom has proposed the next steps in plans that would see mobile masts and Wi-Fi routers in different locations, for the first time, be able to use parts of the same frequency band to transmit their signals, unlocking significant benefits for households, businesses and the wider UK economy. Historically, mobile and Wi-Fi services have had […]
Ofcom has reported that it received almost 50,000 complaints about more than 8,000 TV, radio, and on-demand programmes in 2025 (so far) – a clear sign that “audiences care deeply about what they watch and listen to”. Complaint numbers have fallen overall from 2024, notes the media regulator. There are some genres that continue to […]
Ofcom’s latest Online Nation report explores how adults and children in the UK experience life online; from the sites and apps used every day, to how people feel about what they do and what they encounter online. Adults now spend an average of four and a half hours online a day – up by 10 […]
Research commissioned by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has found nearly nine in 10 (88 per cent) people agree there is a potential child protection risk if anime content is not age-rated appropriately and consistently, with parents who are unfamiliar with anime frequently assuming it is inherently “child-friendly”. The mixed-methods study combined ten […]
The race to bring satellite calls and texts to ordinary smartphones has begun, after UK comms regulator Ofcom announced its final decisions about how the technology can be rolled out. Mobile operators are now joining with satellite companies to deliver ‘direct-to-device services’ to everyday smartphones up and down the UK. This involves satellites hundreds of […]
Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £375,000 on religious channel, The Word Network, for breaching broadcasting rules on multiple occasions. Having received viewer complaints – and in one case following routine monitoring – the media regulator launched investigations into the following programmes: Stem Cell Activators, broadcast on July 24th 2023; Various episodes of Peter […]
Ofcom has fined Virgin Media £23.8 million (€27.1m), after it disconnected telecare customers during its programme to migrate customers to digital landlines. Virgin Media notified Ofcom about a number of incidents related to the migration of telecare customers in November and December 2023. As a result, the media regulator launched an investigation to establish whether […]