The internet sheriffs at Ofcom have admitted the government’s Online Safety Act (OSA) dumps “new regulatory costs” on British companies, forcing them to wade through miles of red tape just to stay online. In a 3,100-word letter to Starmer and Reeves, Ofcom Chief Melanie Dawes attempts to explain how her broadcasting quango is “contributing to economic growth“. Yes, really. There is a whole sub-heading dedicated to the Online Safety Act…
“The OSA inevitably places new regulatory costs on companies because we are asking them to carry out assessments and introduce new systems and processes that they have not previously had to prioritise. The largest and/or riskiest services rightly face the heaviest burdens. Nevertheless, we are committed to making online safety regulation as easy as possible to understand and comply with, particularly for small UK-based companies who want to get it right. In January 2025, we launched the beta version of our dedicated Digital Support Service (DSS) to help businesses understand their regulatory requirements under the OSA…”
Dawes goes on to say the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will also “impose new regulatory burdens on businesses“. Don’t worry, the good news is this will somehow ultimately contribute to economic growth. It also gives Ofcom “enhanced powers“. In the good old days, a nimble state with a low tax burden and high productivity was the way to economic growth. Now we give Ofcom magical new powers and hope for the best…
Read the full letter here if you really want to. It’s not really a page-turner…
