Online Safety Act 2023

PART 4Interpretation, and extension of three-month periods

Interpretation of this Schedule

21In this Schedule—

• “CAA” means a children’s access assessment (see section 35);

• “CAA guidance” means OFCOM’s guidance under section 52(3)(b) (guidance about children’s access assessments);

• “children’s risk assessment guidance” means OFCOM’s guidance under section 99(3);

• “section 15(2) assessment” means OFCOM’s assessment under section 14 (assessments related to the adult user empowerment duty set out in section 15(2));

• “section 15(2) guidance” means OFCOM’s guidance under section 52(1).

22For the meaning of “likely to be accessed by children”, see section 37.

23In relation to regulated user-to-user services (or in the case of combined services, the user-to-user part of such services)—

(a)references to an illegal content risk assessment are to an illegal content risk assessment as defined by section 9;

(b)references to illegal content risk assessment guidance are to OFCOM’s guidance under section 99(1).

24In relation to regulated search services and the search engine of combined services—

(a)references to an illegal content risk assessment are to an illegal content risk assessment as defined by section 26;

(b)references to illegal content risk assessment guidance are to OFCOM’s guidance under section 99(2).

25In relation to regulated user-to-user services (or in the case of combined services, the user-to-user part of such services)—

(a)references to a children’s risk assessment are to a children’s risk assessment as defined by section 11;

(b)references to children’s risk assessment guidance are to be read as references to guidance about such children’s risk assessments.

26In relation to regulated search services and the search engine of combined services—

(a)references to a children’s risk assessment are to a children’s risk assessment as defined by section 28;

(b)references to children’s risk assessment guidance are to be read as references to guidance about such children’s risk assessments.

27For the purposes of this Schedule, guidance of a particular kind is available at a particular time if at that time there is in existence published guidance of that kind.

Extension of three-month periods

28(1)This paragraph applies in relation to a time-limit of three months imposed by any provision of this Schedule for completing a CAA, a section 15(2) assessment or a particular kind of risk assessment.

(2)Extra time may be allowed—

(a)by agreement between OFCOM and the provider of a particular Part 3 service, or

(b)in accordance with a notice published by OFCOM specifying a longer period for CAAs, section 15(2) assessments or risk assessments of that kind (as the case may be) which relate to Part 3 services of a particular kind or size.