Social media firms have been told they have one final chance to tighten up on criminal activity and abuse on their platforms.
A new online safety act came into force in the UK today, requiring platforms such Meta’s Facebook and TikTok to have new safeguards in place by 16 March 2025.
During this period, they will have to carry out risk assessments identifying potential harmful content or face fines of up to 10% of their global turnover.
Ofcom head Melanie Dawes said it was a "last chance" for the industry to make changes.
"If they don't start to seriously change the way they operate their services, then I think those demands for things like bans for children on social media are going to get more and more vigorous," she told the BBC.
"I'm asking the industry now to get moving, and if they don't they will be hearing from us with enforcement action from March."
Under the codes, platforms will need to identify if, where and how illegal content might appear on their services and how they will stop it from appearing on their platforms.
Critics have said they are 'astonished' by the vagueness of the measures saying at best it will lock in inertia to act and at worst offer loopholes for dangerous and harmful content.