UK Regulator Proposes New Media Literacy Rules For Digital Platforms

The UK regulator Ofcom opened the consultation on 15 September 2025, running until 8 December 2025, seeking views on measures to improve transparency, user control, and media literacy across platforms reaching significant UK audiences.

The proposals require online platforms, broadcasters, and streaming services to provide clearer user choices, strengthen parental controls, and increase transparency around recommender systems, also known as algorithms. The guidance encourages “media literacy by design”, offering tools for users to critically assess content and supporting communities with limited access to resources. Social media firms, including Google, Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook, are specifically highlighted. Ofcom also recommends engagement with educational organisations and targeted media literacy campaigns to address misinformation and disinformation.