Ofcom Sets Out Final Plans for Online Safety Fees and Penalties

On 26 June 2025, Ofcom published its final policy statement on the implementation of the fees and penalties regime under the Online Safety Act 2023. The statement follows a public consultation held between October 2024 and January 2025 and confirms how the regulator will recover the costs of delivering its online safety duties. 

Key Documents: 

Key Takeaways for Business: 

  • Fees Based on Revenue: Providers of regulated online services will be required to pay annual fees to Ofcom if their Qualifying Worldwide Revenue (QWR) exceeds a threshold set by the Secretary of State. Ofcom has recommended this threshold be set at £250 million. 
  • UK Revenue Exemption: Ofcom has proposed that providers with less than £10 million in UK-derived revenue will be exempt from fee-related duties, even if their global revenue exceeds the QWR threshold. 
  • Definition of QWR: QWR will be calculated based on global revenues referable to the relevant parts of regulated services – those that host user-generated content, search functions, or pornographic content. Ofcom will issue further guidance in late 2025 to help companies calculate and apportion revenue where needed. 

Full QWR definition 
“We define QWR as the total revenue of a provider referable to the provision of the following parts of regulated services anywhere in the world: first, the parts on which regulated user-generated content may be encountered; second, the parts on which search content may be encountered; and third, the parts on which regulated provider pornographic content may be encountered. We refer to these parts of a regulated service as the ‘relevant parts’ in the remainder of this statement.” 

  • Penalties: The same QWR definition will be used to determine maximum financial penalties for non-compliance (up to 10% of QWR or £18 million). Where companies are jointly and severally liable (e.g. parent and subsidiary entities), Ofcom will use a broader definition encompassing full group revenues. 
  • Charging Principles and Notification: Ofcom will consult on its Statement of Charging Principles (SoCP) in Q4 2025 and expects to adopt a tariff in the region of 0.02 – 0.03%. Companies will need to notify Ofcom of their QWR within four months of the QWR Threshold regulations coming into force, which is expected in Q4 2025. 

Next Steps: 

Ofcom have also submitted advice on the QWR Threshold to the Secretary of State as required under the Act.  

The Secretary of State of DSIT is required to make regulations setting the QWR Threshold figure, which are expected to be laid in Parliament in Q4 2025.  

Liable providers will then have to submit their QWR notifications to Ofcom. For the first charging year, notifications need to be submitted within four months of the date on which the threshold regulations come into force.  

Samiah Anderson

Samiah Anderson

Head of Digital Regulation, techUK

Samiah Anderson is the Head of Digital Regulation at techUK.

With over six years of Government Affairs expertise, Samiah has built a solid reputation as a tech policy specialist, engaging regularly with UK Government Ministers, senior civil servants and UK Parliamentarians.

Before joining techUK, Samiah led several public affairs functions for international tech firms and coalitions at Burson Global (formerly Hill & Knowlton), delivering CEO-level strategic counsel on political, legislative, and regulatory issues in the UK, EU, US, China, India, and Japan. She is adept at mobilising multinational companies and industry associations, focusing on cross-cutting digital regulatory issues such as competition, artificial intelligence, and more.

She holds a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of London, where she founded the New School Economics Society, the Goldsmiths University chapter of Rethinking Economics.

Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.techuk.org
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samiahnanderson/

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Oliver Alderson

Oliver Alderson

Junior Policy Manager, techUK

Oliver is a Junior Policy Manager at techUK, working across Public Affairs and Digital Regulation policy. He supports the organisation’s engagement with government and parliament, contributes to shaping techUK’s regulatory agenda, and plays a key role in coordinating political outreach, policy projects, and flagship events.

He joined techUK in November 2023 as a Team Assistant to the Policy and Public Affairs team, before stepping into his current role. He has been closely involved in efforts to ensure the tech sector’s voice is heard in the policymaking process.

Oliver holds a Master’s in Policy Research from the University of Bristol and a BSc in Policy from Swansea University. During his studies, he contributed to mental health research as a Student Research Assistant for the SMaRteN network.

Outside of work, Oliver is a keen debater and remains active in the UK debating community, having previously led the Swansea University Debating Union. He enjoys exploring complex issues from multiple perspectives and values clear, thoughtful communication in policy discussions.

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
07505 890 596
LinkedIn:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/oliver-alderson-a51312180

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Meet the team 

Antony Walker

Antony Walker

Deputy CEO, techUK

Alice Campbell

Alice Campbell

Head of Public Affairs, techUK

Edward Emerson

Edward Emerson

Head of Digital Economy, techUK

Samiah Anderson

Samiah Anderson

Head of Digital Regulation, techUK

Audre Verseckaite

Audre Verseckaite

Senior Policy Manager, Data & AI, techUK

Mia Haffety

Mia Haffety

Policy Manager - Digital Economy, techUK

Archie Breare

Archie Breare

Policy Manager - Skills & Digital Economy, techUK

Nimmi Patel

Nimmi Patel

Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity, techUK

Daniella Bennett Remington

Daniella Bennett Remington

Policy Manager - Digital Regulation, techUK

Oliver Alderson

Oliver Alderson

Junior Policy Manager, techUK

Tess Newton

Team Assistant, Policy and Public Affairs, techUK

 

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