Staff of the National Council, together with colleagues from Ofcom, discussed the UK’s experience in regulating online platforms, engaging with digital services, and using artificial intelligence in the media sphere. The meeting was organized by the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine to strengthen the regulator’s capacity to respond effectively to the challenges of the rapidly evolving digital media environment.
This was the first of two online trainings organized within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Ukraine – Phase II.” The meeting was opened by Andrew Lewis, Head of International Strategy at Ofcom, and Olena Demchenko, Senior Project Officer at the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.
The British model of online regulation is based on the Online Safety Act adopted in 2023. Its primary goal is to reduce the spread of illegal content and materials that may harm children. The Act places responsibility for safety directly on online services themselves. They are required to implement risk management mechanisms, while the regulator monitors their effectiveness.
Ofcom supports platforms in meeting the requirements of the law through codes of practice and guidance. At the same time, services may apply their own solutions, provided they can demonstrate their effectiveness. What matters most is that the mechanisms genuinely make the services safer.
The discussion also addressed the responsibility of digital platforms, mechanisms of governance and transparency, as well as practical approaches to monitoring compliance with online safety requirements.
The implementation of the law is taking place in stages. Ofcom has already launched initial investigations, imposed fines exceeding £5 million, and is working with the government on measures to restrict access for children under 16 to social media.
An important topic of discussion was the protection of children in the online environment. Ofcom representatives – Gabriella Kountourides, Director of International Content Policy, and Catherine Kisandji, Director of Policy in the Online Safety Group – outlined providers’ obligations regarding risk assessment and mitigation, the introduction of age verification mechanisms, and the improvement of content moderation, among other measures.
Ofcom’s Central Strategy Team representatives, Victoria Tavernor and Charlie Thomas, outlined regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence. Their priorities encompass assessing AI’s impact on media and users, addressing deepfake challenges, strengthening cybersecurity, and engaging with academia and industry. The UK experts also sought insights into Ukraine’s regulatory experience in the online domain and AI usage. Specialists of the National Council described Ukraine’s implementation of the EU Digital Services Act, cooperation practices with online platforms, the integration of AI tools into the Council’s work, and internal safeguards for their responsible use.
