Ian Cheshire, the incoming chair of Ofcom, set out a firmer line on tech regulation as he prepared to take charge of the UK communications regulator. He said he would take on what he called the tech bros, and he acknowledged concern that the regulator had moved too slowly on online safety. He also told MPs he had personal worries about the impact of social media on children under 16. His stance sets the tone for Ofcom’s next phase as it moves to enforce the Online Safety Act and new duties under the Media Act. These responsibilities cover social media platforms, search services, and major streaming services, alongside long standing oversight of broadcasting and telecoms.
Cheshire steps into a role that will shape how the UK applies online safety rules and bring large on demand players closer to broadcast standards. His comments signal a focus on youth protection, clear accountability for platforms, and faster regulatory action. They also mark a change at the top for Ofcom as it prepares to move from consultation to enforcement across a changing media landscape.
When and where Cheshire made the remarks during a session with MPs in Westminster this week, as part of scrutiny linked to his appointment as Ofcom chair.
A broader remit at a critical moment
Ofcom’s duties now stretch well beyond broadcast and spectrum management. Parliament has placed online safety into Ofcom’s remit, tasking the regulator with setting and enforcing codes that require social media firms and search engines to reduce the risk of illegal content and to protect children. That includes age checks and clear terms for how platforms moderate harmful material. Ofcom has already launched staged consultations on these rules and plans to finalise codes once Parliament signs them off.
The Media Act, which passed last year, also expands Ofcom’s oversight of video on demand services. The law brings mainstream streaming platforms within a new framework that aligns expectations for harmful or misleading content more closely with those used for broadcast television. These changes mean Ofcom will guide and, if needed, sanction a wider set of companies than before. Cheshire’s pledge to act with more pace fits with a period where the regulator must set clear timelines and publish practical guidance.
Online safety and children’s wellbeing
Cheshire’s focus on the experience of under 16s reflects a central aim of the Online Safety Act. The regime requires platforms to assess risks to children, put in place proportionate safeguards, and provide parents with tools to manage use. Ofcom has consulted on codes that address issues such as content that promotes self harm, exploitation, and dangerous challenges. It has also explored standards for age assurance and default settings for younger users.
Industry expects detailed guidance on compliance, as well as clarity on penalties. The legislation grants Ofcom the power to levy significant fines for breaches and to require corrective action. Cheshire’s public concern about young users signals that Ofcom will measure the next phase of its work against outcomes for children and families, not just policies on paper. His comments also align with a political and public health push to limit harmful design features that keep children online for longer.
Oversight of streaming and on demand services
The Media Act creates a new code for large on demand platforms, with Ofcom responsible for setting standards and handling complaints in line with the updated framework. Broadcasters already answer to the Broadcasting Code, which covers due accuracy, fairness, and harm and offence. On demand services now face a comparable system, although the exact scope and thresholds depend on the service’s reach and UK presence.
For global platforms that run both social media and streaming services, this creates a more complex regulatory map. Ofcom must coordinate across separate duties while offering a single point of contact for companies that operate in many markets. Cheshire’s background at Channel 4, a public service broadcaster that also runs a large on demand platform, gives him first hand knowledge of how publishers balance editorial judgement, audience protection, and commercial needs. That experience may help the regulator manage a crowded field of rules without adding undue friction.
Addressing perceptions of delay and complacency
Cheshire’s remarks acknowledge a view in Westminster and beyond that Ofcom has moved too slowly on fast rising online risks. The regulator has spent the last two years running consultations, impact assessments, and draft codes for public comment. That process reflects the scale of the law and the need for legal certainty. But it also creates a gap between political intent and the day to day experience of users and parents.
By promising firmer action and greater pace, the incoming chair sets an expectation that Ofcom will publish clearer schedules for final codes, compliance windows, and enforcement thresholds. The regulator will also need to show visible outcomes, such as improved age checks, quicker takedown procedures for illegal content, and better transparency reports from major platforms. Clear communication about what the law requires and when it will matter as much as legal powers.
Industry engagement and compliance culture
Ofcom’s approach often relies on engagement and structured dialogue with regulated firms. Cheshire’s vow to take on the tech bros suggests he will press companies to adopt a more responsible stance. That does not exclude collaboration. It signals that Ofcom will expect senior leaders to own compliance decisions and to invest in systems that reduce harm, not just in public relations.
For start ups and mid sized platforms, the regulator has indicated that it will apply proportionality. Larger services with the greatest reach and risk bear the heaviest duties. Firms will still want clear guidance that reduces uncertainty and helps product teams build safety by design. Cheshire’s leadership will likely focus on translating statutory duties into practical benchmarks that engineers and policy teams can implement at scale.
Parliamentary scrutiny and leadership transition
New appointments to major public bodies in the UK face scrutiny by select committees, which test candidates on their independence and understanding of the brief. Cheshire appeared before MPs in that context as he moves to succeed the current chair at the end of the term. Ofcom’s board sets strategy and holds the executive to account, while the chief executive and senior directors run operations. A chair can still shift tone and priorities, especially during a period of legislative change.
Over the next year, Ofcom plans to move from drafting to enforcement under the Online Safety Act once Parliament has approved its codes. It will also start to bring the new on demand framework to life under the Media Act. These steps will define the early period of Cheshire’s term. They will also give the regulator a chance to show that it can act with the pace and clarity that he outlined to MPs.
What this means is Cheshire’s stated focus signals a firmer regulatory environment for large tech platforms and a more structured regime for streaming services. Companies that operate social networks or search services should expect tighter oversight of risk assessments, age checks, and content moderation systems. Streaming platforms should prepare for Ofcom’s new code, closer alignment with broadcast standards, and a reinforced complaints process. Broadcasters and telecoms providers will watch how Ofcom balances online duties with its existing workload, and how it coordinates across teams to avoid duplication. Parents, schools, and child safety groups may see more direct guidance from Ofcom on the practical changes users can expect on major platforms.
Summary Ian Cheshire’s move to the chair of Ofcom comes as the regulator takes on wider powers over online safety and on demand services. He has set a tone of faster action and clearer accountability, with a particular focus on protecting children. That approach aligns with Parliament’s direction in the Online Safety Act and the Media Act. The coming months will test how Ofcom embeds those laws, how it communicates expectations to platforms, and how it measures progress. Cheshire’s comments suggest he wants to close the gap between legislative intent and real world change and to show that the regulator can meet the moment for the UK media and tech sector.
