Do people in the UK feel safe online? Do they want more platform safety measures? We analyzed the latest Ofcom data to answer the questions about online safety attitudes in Britain.
Demand for Safety Measures
Do People Want More Safety Measures? (2025)
48% of adult internet users want more safety measures on platforms, up from 40% in June 2023.
57% of women want more safety measures, compared to 38% of men. 52% of minority ethnic users want more safety, compared to 47% of White users.
58% of Black/Black British users want more safety measures.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Do Current Safety Measures Meet Needs? (2025)
20% feel safety measures on platforms meet their needs, down from 23% in June 2023. 32% are neutral on whether measures meet needs.
30% of free speech advocates want further safety measures. 75% of protection prioritisers want further measures.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Confidence in Safety
Do People Feel Confident Staying Safe Online? (2025)
61% feel confident in their ability to stay safe online.
67% of men are confident, compared to 55% of women. 68% of 18-34 year olds are confident, compared to 54% of those aged 55 and over.
71% of LGB+ users are confident, compared to 60% of heterosexual users. 64% without a limiting condition are confident, compared to 56% with a condition.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Can People Avoid Harmful Content? (2025)
56% believe common sense is enough to avoid harmful content. 13% say it is impossible to avoid harmful content online.
45% of minority ethnic users believe common sense prevents harm, compared to 60% of White users.
26% of Black/Black British users believe it is impossible to avoid harmful content, the highest of any group.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Platform Responsibility
Who Should Be Responsible for Online Safety? (2025)
37% said platforms should have more onus for ensuring appropriate content. 21% said the onus should be on the individual who posts.
42% said search engines are most responsible for controlling search results. 24% said individuals should manage their own search settings.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Should Platforms Monitor and Remove Content? (2025)
90% think platforms should monitor for illegal content. 86% think illegal content should be removed.
74% think platforms should monitor for offensive content in public spaces. 57% think platforms should delete or remove offensive content.
26% disagree that platforms should delete offensive content.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025
Concerns About Harm
Are People Concerned About Online Harms? (2025)
98% of adult internet users are concerned about at least one potential online harm.
Women are slightly more likely than men to be concerned, at 98% versus 97%. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys, at 94% versus 86%.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2025, Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2024
What Harms Concern People Most? (2024)
Women are more concerned than men about extremism at 87% versus 77%. Women are more concerned about human trafficking at 86% versus 76%.
Women are more concerned about suicide content at 86% versus 77%. Women are more concerned about hateful content at 83% versus 67%.
Sources: Ofcom Online Experiences Tracker 2024
UK Online Safety Regulation
Has UK Regulation Affected Online Harms? (2025)
Illegal content protection measures came into place on 17 March 2025.
7 of 16 tracked illegal content categories have shown decreases since the measures were introduced.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
- [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