Tl;dr not really a newsletter, but an informal community list for indie and community web makers who want to maintain a vibrant Web that works for everyone :-)
Before 16 March 2025, UK providers of “user-to-user” services will need to complete an “illegal content” risk assessment to understand how users will be exposed to risks on the services they run, and then - from 17 March onwards - be compliant with the safety measures set out by Ofcom to protect users from illegal content and activity.(Official statement from Ofcom.)
If you self-host a message board where people can post content, run a game or other service in which people upload content, or host a fediverse instance then these rules will apply to you.
Lots of indie and community web site makers and hosts are understandably concerned about what this new compliance duty will mean in practice and how we can collectively maintain a vibrant and pluralistic Web in the light of these new measures.
As part of the Community Tech community of practice, Promising Trouble has got in touch with Ofcom to find out if they would be willing to do a briefing for voluntary and small teams who run websites to help them understand what compliance means. We also want to work out a way of gathering questions and concerns and making sure that the implementation of the Online Safety Act happens in a way that preserves community-driven web sites. No promises on being able to resolve anything but perhaps if we do this together we can form a useful coalition and get some things done.
If that sounds interesting, sign up here, and we’ll update when we know what’s what. In the meantime, Russ Garrett has put together a layperson’s summary of what duties look like.