How many prosecutions under online safety act
Executive summary
Available sources do not provide a single, definitive count of prosecutions under the UK Online Safety Act (OSA); reporting and legal trackers note that the Act created new criminal offences in Part 10 and that "some prosecutions were enabled by the OSA," while specific milestone events (first conviction under a named OSA offence) are mentioned in individual write-ups (e.g., first conviction under section 184 in July 2025) [1] [2]. Overall coverage focuses on implementation, enforcement powers and investigations rather than a centralized prosecution tally [3] [4].
1. What the Act actually created — criminal offences and enforcement powers
The Online Safety Act 2023 introduced new or amended criminal offences in Part 10 and gave Ofcom powers to enforce duties on services, including the ability to refer matters for criminal prosecution where appropriate [5] [6]. Legal commentary emphasises that senior managers can face criminal liability for failing to comply with Ofcom information requests or child-safety duties, and Ofcom has the statutory route to use criminal prosecution as an enforcement tool [7] [6].
2. Evidence that prosecutions have occurred — examples, not a full count
Industry and analyst pieces state that "some prosecutions were enabled by the OSA," and Wikipedia notes the first conviction under section 184 (encouraging or assisting serious self-harm) occurred in July 2025 — an example of an OSA-related criminal outcome rather than a comprehensive tally [2] [1]. These references indicate prosecutions are possible and have begun, but do not enumerate all cases.
3. Ofcom’s approach: investigations and enforcement priorities
Ofcom has publicly signalled a willingness to act, launching targeted enforcement programmes and formal investigations (for example, into pornographic services’ age-assurance compliance) and warning services of possible enforcement including criminal routes if compliance is inadequate [8] [9]. Commentators and law firms report Ofcom’s enforcement director prefers collaborative measures but will not hesitate to use its full powers where providers fail to comply [6] [9].
4. Why there’s no easy prosecution count in available reporting
Most of the supplied material focuses on implementation timelines, codes of practice, Ofcom consultations and investigatory activity (risk-assessment deadlines, children’s safety COPs coming into force) rather than producing a running list of criminal cases [3] [4] [10]. Legal briefings and guides emphasise duties, penalties (civil fines up to £18m or 10% of global turnover) and enforcement posture rather than compiling prosecution statistics [9] [11].
5. What the sources do say about milestones and notable actions
Key implementation dates and milestones are documented: illegal harms duties came into force on 17 March 2025 and children’s safety duties on 25 July 2025; those dates triggered heightened regulatory scrutiny and investigations that could lead to enforcement, including criminal action [10] [3]. Wikipedia records at least one conviction under a specific OSA section (section 184) in July 2025, which demonstrates the Act’s criminal provisions have been applied in practice [1].
6. Competing perspectives and limits of available reporting
Regulatory and legal sources emphasise Ofcom’s readiness to enforce and the potential for prosecutions; industry and civil-society commentary have focused more on compliance burdens, rights implications and legal challenges (for example, platforms contesting aspects of the regime) [8] [1]. Available sources do not provide a centralized public database or definitive, up-to-date count of prosecutions under the OSA, nor do they present a consolidated government statement tallying prosecutions (not found in current reporting).
7. How to get a firm number — next steps for a researcher
To establish a verifiable prosecution count, one should check: (a) official Ministry/Justice or Crown Prosecution Service releases referencing OSA-related charges or convictions; (b) Ofcom enforcement reports and enforcement notices that may list actions taken or referred; and (c) case law databases and High Court/ Crown Court lists for convictions citing the OSA’s Part 10 offences. The supplied materials indicate these are the likely sources but do not themselves supply a comprehensive prosecution list [6] [9] [4].
Conclusion
Available reporting confirms that the OSA created criminal offences and that prosecutions have been enabled — with at least one named conviction reported (section 184, July 2025) — but none of the supplied sources offers a complete, authoritative count of prosecutions under the Act [5] [2] [1].