How do people in the UK respond to harmful content online? Do they report it, and are they satisfied with the process? We analyzed the latest Ofcom data to answer the questions about content reporting in Britain.
Reporting Behaviour
Do People Report Harmful Content? (2025)
60% took action after encountering their most recent potential harm. 35% reported, complained, or flagged the content.
19% clicked the reporting button. 15% flagged content as not interested. 7% complained to the website. 6% told a friend or family member.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
What Other Actions Do People Take? (2025)
19% blocked or unfollowed the person who posted harmful content. 19% disengaged or changed their behaviour after encountering harm.
7% closed the platform. 6% use the platform less. 5% stopped commenting or liking posts. 3% stopped using the platform entirely. 2% closed their account.
24% scrolled past the harmful content without taking action.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Reporting Satisfaction
Are People Satisfied With Reporting? (2025)
36% were dissatisfied with the reporting process, with 20% very dissatisfied. 34% were satisfied with reporting.
Women are less satisfied than men at 33% versus 37%. 23% of women were very dissatisfied versus 15% of men.
25% of 35-54 year olds were very dissatisfied with reporting, the highest of any age group.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Do People Know the Outcome of Their Reports? (2025)
Only one third of those who reported knew the outcome of their report. 67% were not aware of the reporting outcome.
52% said nothing yet had happened as a result of reporting. 19% said content was removed. 9% received a written response.
Those who knew the outcome were much more satisfied, at 56% versus 20% for those unaware.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Why People Don't Report
Why Don't People Take Action? (2025)
Among those who did nothing, 47% said the harm was not serious enough, up 3 percentage points from June 2024.
25% did not see a need to do anything. 21% believed reporting would not help. 19% were not directly impacted.
13% could not be bothered to act. 11% did not know what to do or who to inform, rising to 15% among those aged 55 and over.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Are Young People Less Likely to Report? (2025)
49% of 18-24 year olds scrolled past or took no action after encountering harm. 42% of 25-34 year olds took no action. 36% of those aged 55 and over took no action.
55% of 18-34 year olds did not consider the harm serious enough to act, compared to 43% of 35-54 year olds and 42% of those aged 55 and over.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Demographics
Who Is Most Likely to Report? (2025)
74% of Black/Black British users took action after encountering harm. 43% reported or flagged content. 22% unfollowed, blocked, or muted the poster.
64% of Black/Black British users were aware of their report outcome, compared to 38% of minority ethnic users overall and 32% of White users.
64% with a limiting condition took action, compared to 56% without.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Are Minority Ethnic Users More Satisfied With Reporting? (2025)
42% of minority ethnic users were satisfied with reporting, compared to 32% of White users.
Minority ethnic users are more likely to report and more likely to be satisfied with the outcome.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Video Sharing Platforms
Are People Aware of Reporting on Video Platforms? (2024)
51% of video sharing platform users aged 13 and over had used flagging or reporting mechanisms, up from 42% in February 2024.
89% who used reporting mechanisms would use one again. 61% said reporting was easy to use. 50% said it was easy to find.
47% of parents said reporting should be made easier for children to use.
Sources: Ofcom VSP Tracker 2024
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf)
- Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
- Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2024
- Ofcom VSP Tracker 2024