Clubs with online forums warned to act by 16 March deadline

Published: 06/03/2025

The UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which passed into law in 2023, is now being implemented in stages. The first parts of the OSA, originally aimed at the big online operators, come into effect on 16 March. 

Clubs may be swept up in the provisions if they host online services such as a forum on a website, warns the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC).

Issuing a briefing note to all its member clubs explaining the issue in more detail, the FBHVC tells clubs that compliance with the OSA is something they need to do if they host online services such as a forum,

The Act’s aim is to protect children and adults online. It creates a range of new duties on providers, making them more responsible for their users’ safety. 

The OSA gives providers new duties to implement systems and processes, to reduce risks that their services are used for illegal activity, and to take down illegal/threatening content when it does appear.  

While safety measures will need to be put in place across the board, small services with limited functionality are not required to take the same actions as the largest corporations.

The ability to assess the effect on smaller providers and forums was difficult to assess until Ofcom guidance was available. However it has now been drafted and is set out here https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/ 

Within that link is an online checker to confirm whether the OSA does apply to a particular Club’s services – it almost certainly will, to online forums – and a guide to compliance including risk assessments, which MUST be done by 16 March.

The fulfilment of these duties will be overseen by the Regulator, Ofcom. 

By this date, online service providers should have completed a risk assessment for dealing with potentially illegal content. The Ofcom guide and risk assessment are here https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/quick-guide-to-online-safety-risk-assessments/  

The legislation looks intimidating for small operators and the FBHVC hopes that Ofcom abides by the promise of a “proportionate approach.”

The FBHVC anticipates that some of the mandatory compliance requirements are already adhered to, in some form, as part of operating the existing club forums (moderating and dealing with inappropriate posts and behaviours, adherence to forum rules and processes for joining and identification) which should mitigate the burden of the new rules. 

On the positive side, the need to adhere to the requirements of the legislation – including the risk assessment – may prove an opportunity for clubs to review and revise their forum access, and thereby reduce problematic behaviours.