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Ian Cheshire Appointed as New Ofcom Chair Amid Focus on Online Safety Regulations
Ian Cheshire has been appointed as the new chair of Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, with online safety emerging as a primary priority. The role involves overseeing the implementation of the Online Safety Act, which regulates social media platforms.
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Ian Cheshire has been appointed as the new chair of Ofcom, effective immediately. Ofcom regulates communications sectors including telecoms, broadband, postal services, media, and online platforms in the UK. The appointment comes as the regulator advances the Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, which imposes safety requirements on social media, search, and video platforms.
The Online Safety Act requires platforms to prevent illegal and harmful content from reaching users, particularly children. Implementation began in 2023 under Ofcom's chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, with age-gating measures introduced last year. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall expressed concerns over delays in rolling out additional provisions.
safety issues are expected to dominate Cheshire's tenure.
Ofcom's 2026/27 plan outlines projects such as monitoring harmful content to children, assessing age-gating effectiveness, and preventing illegal content from spreading virally. Extra measures for major platforms like Google and Instagram remain pending due to a court case.
Influential figures, including Ian Russell, father of teenager Molly Russell who died by suicide in 2017 after viewing harmful online content, have called for stronger enforcement.
Russell criticized Ofcom last year for failing to block a suicide forum accessible to UK users. Beeban Kidron, a campaigner for online protections, also advocates for tougher regulations. The Guardian reported that the government wants Ofcom to accelerate online safety efforts despite its extensive responsibilities.
An ongoing investigation examines the partial undressing of women and girls' images by Grok, an AI tool owned by Elon Musk's xAI.
Regulatory Responsibilities Ofcom was established in 2003 to oversee public service broadcasting, including children's programming and impartial news.
