By Patricia Figueiredo ( March 16, 2026, 08:48 GMT | Comment) -- UK regulators Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office are shifting online safety enforcement from fringe pornography and suicide forums to the largest social media platforms, placing Meta, YouTube, TikTok and others under direct scrutiny. The coordinated letters set deadlines for age checks and child protection, marking a more visible phase of oversight that could test regulators’ appetite for formal action and address criticism of closed-door engagement with Big Tech, even as early industry responses signal resistance.For much of the past year, Ofcom’s online safety enforcement has focused on what its chief executive Melanie Dawes described on Thursday as “the nastiest and most harmful parts of the internet.” ...
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