Daniel Jackson

When you realise your social media platform hasn't made it onto the Keir Starmer's social media banned list

You know what? The really funny thing about the Online Safety Act furore from Reform and friends is that a lot of the loudest voices still think this is only about social posts and takedowns. And it really isn’t. Ofcom is also consulting on Tier 1 standards for major video-on-demand services. Tier 1 is the the kind of content regulation already applied to broadcast TV in the UK. That will move what has been a binary argument past, “Can I say this online?” and into a far bigger question: how did the audience encounter the content to begin with? Was it labelled? Dated? Warned? Autoplayed? Recommended? Did it surface algorithmically during an election? Was it still accurate in context? This means the next regulatory fight won’t just be about posts, and that’s going to blow their minds when it gets here. It’ll be about programmes, platforms, catalogues, warnings, archives and recommendation systems. The internet didn’t abolish broadcast regulation in this country and give pernicious opportunists licence to say what they like without consequences. It just made the UK regulator learn a new route into the living room. This will be one to watch.