The UK regulator Ofcom announces new proposals aimed at reducing online fraud by restricting scam advertising on major platforms. Under a new phase of implementing the Online Safety Act, large online services—including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X and YouTube—would be required to block advertisers who post fraudulent ads. The proposals also target how scam actors operate on these platforms, including preventing repeat offenders from creating new accounts after enforcement action.
Ofcom’s plan focuses on services with the widest reach, and it outlines a set of measures intended to stop bad actors from continuing to advertise scams through account creation and repeated submissions. The proposals form part of broader Online Safety Act implementation, tying platform responsibilities to the management of harmful or deceptive content.
While the outlets highlight different aspects of the measures, both describe a similar approach: increased regulatory obligations for big tech platforms to identify and stop scam advertising and to reduce the ability of fraudsters to evade enforcement. The rules are presented as steps designed to tackle online fraud through platform enforcement requirements.
