Online Safety Act Categorisation Register Delayed Until July 2026
Ofcom has announced that the publication of its Online Safety Act categorisation register — a critical document that will formally identify which online services face the most stringent legal duties — has been pushed back to July 2026, a full year later than originally scheduled, creating significant uncertainty for the UK tech sector.
The categorisation register is a cornerstone of the Online Safety Act (OSA), as it will formally identify online services falling into Category 1, 2A, and 2B. Once categorised, services face a range of additional and more stringent legal duties beyond the baseline requirements for illegal content and child safety, including transparency reporting, user empowerment tools, and protections for news publishers.
Background
The delay has been partly attributed to a legal challenge by the Wikimedia Foundation, which contested aspects of the categorisation process. Ofcom has stated the delay is intended to allow for a representations process in early 2026 to ensure accuracy and fairness in the categorisation decisions. The UK government has expressed concern over the delay but has also publicly stated that services should not wait for formal deadlines to implement user protections.
Key Developments
Alongside the categorisation delay, a new "super-complaints" mechanism is set to become effective on 31 December 2025. This will allow designated organisations to raise formal complaints with Ofcom about services that may be causing significant harm to users or infringing on freedom of expression, introducing a new avenue for public and consumer advocacy groups to hold platforms accountable.
The delay comes as the UK tech sector — valued at approximately $1.2 trillion and the largest in Europe — grapples with rapid AI integration and increasing regulatory scrutiny. Research from 2025 showed that nearly nine out of ten UK businesses were actively exploring AI to solve business challenges, with an average spend of around £235,000 on AI and emerging technologies over the past year.
Why It Matters
The delay creates a period of regulatory uncertainty for online platforms operating in the UK, many of which have been investing in compliance infrastructure in anticipation of the categorisation register. For smaller UK tech companies and startups, the extended timeline may provide some breathing room, but it also delays the enhanced protections for users that the OSA was designed to deliver.
What's Next
Ofcom is expected to begin the representations process in the coming months, with the register now targeted for July 2026. Tech companies are advised to continue their compliance preparations regardless of the delay. As techUK reports, the government has made clear that the spirit of the law should be implemented without waiting for formal deadlines.
