ODDA Responds to Ofcom Call for Evidence: Statutory Reports for Age Assurance and App Stores

Ofcom recently announced a Call for Evidence on the ‘use and effectiveness of age assurance by providers of regulated services’. The aim of the Call was to help Ofcom prepare two statutory reports under the Online Safety Act, which will be published in 2026 and 2027.

Ofcom also sought evidence in relation to the role App Stores play in children encountering content that is harmful to them and the use and effectiveness of age assurance currently used by app stores.

Commenting on the Call for Evidence, the ODDAs Simon Newman said “This is an important opportunity to provide feedback to Ofcom on our members experience of implementing age assurance technologies since the Children’s Codes came into effect at the end of July. While the new duties are still in their infancy, our members are committed to keeping children off services designed for over-18s. However, we recognise that issues around friction and cost cause particular challenges for smaller firms in our sector and we continue to work closely with Ofcom to ensure that they take a proportionate and risk-based approach.”

The Call for Evidence closed on 1 December 2025. You can read our full response here: ODDA Response to Ofcom Call for Evidence – Statutory Reports for Age Assurance and App Stores (011225)