Does UK OSA Sections 20, 26 — Complaints procedures and appeals apply to my service?

It applies when at least one of: Service allows user-generated content; Service enables direct messaging between users.

From when does this apply?

UK OSA Sections 20, 26 — Complaints procedures and appeals applies from 16 December 2024. Its current status is: in force.

UK OSA · UK-OSA-COMPLAINTS-APPEALS

UK OSA Sections 20, 26 — Complaints procedures and appeals

Operate accessible complaints and appeals procedures covering safety duty compliance and content moderation decisions, with outcome notifications

HIGHProcess dutyUser rightsBinding regulationIn forceApplies from 16 December 2024

Where this comes from

Provision: Sections 20, 26 — Complaints procedures and appeals

Instrument: UK Online Safety Act 2023

Citation: Online Safety Act 2023, c. 50, Sections 20, 26; Ofcom Codes of Practice, Chapter 9 (Complaints and appeals)

Text version: Online Safety Act 2023 c. 50, as enacted (legislation.gov.uk)

Read the official text ↗

Who it applies to

User-to-user content surface — any one of these:

Service allows user-generated content
Service enables direct messaging between users

What engineering work it implies

Sample acceptance criteria Landfall generates for this obligation:

Notification is sent within required timeframe (check regulation for deadline)
Notification content is in plain language, readable by target audience
Notification includes: what happened, why it matters, what to do next
User can access notification history in their account settings
Necessary notification delivery outcomes use scoped references, channel and attempt time without message bodies or extra recipient data

Questions people ask

Does UK OSA Sections 20, 26 — Complaints procedures and appeals apply to my service?: It applies when at least one of: Service allows user-generated content; Service enables direct messaging between users.
From when does this apply?: UK OSA Sections 20, 26 — Complaints procedures and appeals applies from 16 December 2024. Its current status is: in force.

Find out whether this one lands on you

Landfall's pre-scan answers the applicability question above for your product in minutes, then turns every obligation that applies into traceable engineering tickets with a citation chain your auditors can follow.

Run the pre-scan All UK OSA obligations

Not legal advice. Landfall maps regulatory obligations to engineering work for planning purposes. Its verdicts are not legal advice and create no attorney-client relationship — verify with qualified counsel before relying on them.

What Landfall Is NOT

Critical Boundaries

Understanding these boundaries is essential before using this product. Misuse of this tool for purposes outside its scope may create legal, regulatory, or commercial risk for your organization.

NOT Legal Advice

This product does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Interpretations are informational analysis, not legal counsel. Always consult qualified legal professionals for compliance decisions.

NOT a Risk Score

We do not quantify, calculate, or certify your compliance risk level.

No numerical risk rating, compliance percentage, or safety score. Risk assessment requires human judgment about your specific context.

NOT Runtime Enforcement

This is a planning and mapping tool, not a runtime enforcement system.

Does not integrate with your production systems. Does not block, filter, or enforce compliance in real-time. Implementation is your responsibility.

NOT Regulatory Approval

Using this tool does not mean you are compliant with any regulation.

No certification, seal of approval, or compliance guarantee. Regulators will evaluate your actual implementation, not your use of this tool.

NOT Authoritative Interpretation

Our interpretations are not binding and may differ from regulatory guidance.

Only regulators and courts provide authoritative interpretation. Our analysis reflects our reading of requirements, which may be incomplete or incorrect.

NOT a Safe Harbor

This tool does not shield you from enforcement actions or liability.

Documentation of your process is valuable, but does not constitute a legal defense. Compliance is ultimately your organization's responsibility.

NOT an AI Compliance Agent

AI features assist analysis but do not make compliance decisions for you.

AI-generated interpretations require human review and approval. Automated suggestions are starting points, not final answers.

NOT Complete Coverage

We do not cover all regulations, all obligations, or all jurisdictions.

Regulatory landscape is vast and evolving. Gaps in our coverage do not mean those requirements don't apply to you.

What This Tool IS:

A structured workflow for mapping regulatory requirements to implementation tasks
A documentation system for compliance decisions (audit trail)
A collaboration platform for compliance, legal, and engineering teams
An informational resource for understanding regulatory obligations