Ukie responds to Ofcom consultation on additional safety measures

 

Submitted: 20th October 2025

Ukie supports the objective of strengthening online safety but raises concerns about Ofcom’s proposed additional safety measures, particularly the pace, scope and cumulative impact of further regulation under the Online Safety Act. The response stresses that the Illegal Harms and Children’s Safety Codes had only recently been finalised and were still being implemented when this consultation was launched, creating regulatory instability and repeated compliance cycles. Ukie highlights that video games already operate within structured, low risk environments supported by safety by design, parental controls, moderation systems and the statutory PEGI framework, and that evidence shows livestreaming and user to user harms in games are comparatively rare.

Ukie argues that many of the proposed measures, including those relating to livestreaming, proactive technologies, sanctions and age assurance, are overly prescriptive and risk applying social media style obligations to services with fundamentally different risk profiles. The response calls for a more proportionate, outcomes focused approach that recognises existing effective safeguards, allows flexibility in how companies meet their duties, and provides realistic implementation timelines of at least six to nine months. Ukie urges Ofcom to pause the introduction of new obligations until the impact of existing codes can be properly evaluated, to avoid unnecessary costs for businesses, particularly small and micro studios, while ensuring that regulation remains effective, evidence based and sustainable.