If you are a founder, CEO, or senior leader at a tech company, you are probably aware that online safety regulation is increasing. You may have seen references to Australia’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Services Act, heard about Ofcom’s new powers in the UK, or noticed a slate of new child safety legislation being proposed across the U.S. and Canada.
What is harder to know is whether your company has it properly covered.
The regulatory landscape has expanded significantly in a short period. Frameworks are multiplying. Jurisdictions overlap. Obligations that seem distant have a way of becoming urgent. And the internal capacity to track all of it — across legal, policy, product, and trust and safety — is rarely keeping pace.
The good news is that much of what companies need to navigate this already exists across the industry. The question is how to access it efficiently.
The landscape is more complex than it looks
Online safety regulation is no longer a single-jurisdiction concern. It is a global, overlapping set of obligations — and companies managing it well treat regulatory intelligence as an ongoing operational function, not a one-time compliance exercise.
Here is a practical overview of some of the major frameworks currently in force or moving toward enactment.
Status correct as of September 2026. Frameworks and their requirements change — verify current status and consult with your legal team before making compliance decisions.
| Framework | Jurisdiction | Status (September 2026) |
| Australia Online Safety Act | Australia | In force, eSafety implementing |
| EU Digital Services Act (DSA) | European Union | In force |
| Online Safety Media Regulation Act | Ireland | In force, Coimisiún na Meán implementing |
| Singapore Online Safety Act | Singapore | In force, IMDA implementing |
| UK Online Safety Act | United Kingdom | In force, Ofcom implementing |
| US REPORT Act | United States | In force |
| US COPPA | United States | In force |
| US Take it Down | United States | In force, FTC implementing |
| US KIDS Act / KOSA | United States | Passed House June 2026; Senate pending |
This is not an exhaustive list. Equivalent frameworks are developing across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, US states and beyond. The direction is consistent: regulators globally are moving toward requiring platforms to demonstrate proactive safety measures, not just reactive ones.
“Does this apply to us?” is harder to answer than it looks
This is a question I often hear — and the answer is that it depends on more than most teams initially assume.
The instinct is to look at where your company is headquartered. But many frameworks apply extraterritorially — based on where your users are, rather than where your business is registered.
The EU’s Digital Services Act is the clearest example. It applies to any platform serving users within the European Union, regardless of where that platform is based. A company headquartered in San Francisco with a significant European user base has DSA obligations — including transparency reporting requirements — whether or not it has a European office.
The same logic applies across other frameworks. If your platform has users in the UK, Australia, or Canada, those jurisdictions’ frameworks are likely worth understanding. Thresholds vary, with some focusing on platform size, others on content type or the age of users. But the direction is clear: where users are located can matter just as much as, and often more than, where a company is based.
This is where scaling platforms often underestimate how regulation applies to them. The assumption that regulation is a concern only for large platforms with dedicated regulatory teams is increasingly out of date.
The question your company should be asking
Many senior leaders frame this as a compliance question: which regulations apply to us, and are we meeting their requirements?
That is important. But the more useful question is: do we have the organizational capability to stay across a regulatory landscape that keeps changing?
Online safety regulation is not a static checklist. It is a moving body of law and guidance — new frameworks emerging, existing ones being updated, enforcement priorities shifting. Staying across it requires an ongoing intelligence function, not a periodic legal review.
Regulation is one part of a broader challenge. Companies need systems that help them respond to new requirements while strengthening their child safety practices overall. This includes clear policies, reporting workflows, transparency practices, and coordination across teams. Building that internal capability helps companies keep up with regulation and its value pays dividends beyond compliance.
The companies managing this well have built that function — and that doesn’t have to mean hiring large regulatory affairs teams. Having the ability to access shared intelligence and peer knowledge compresses the work significantly.
As the VP of Trust and Safety at GIPHY put it:
“The Tech Coalition’s legislative briefings are particularly helpful to our small team, as they allow us to know what we need to prepare for without having to commit to extensive proactive research.”
What effective regulatory intelligence actually looks like
Ongoing monitoring: tracking legislative developments across relevant jurisdictions as frameworks develop, as guidance is issued, and as enforcement patterns emerge.
Jurisdictional awareness: understanding which frameworks may be relevant to your platform based on your user base, content type, and business model, and keeping that picture current as your product evolves.
Transparency infrastructure: several major frameworks, including the EU DSA, require platforms to publish transparency reports. Building the internal processes to produce these, aligned with recognized industry frameworks, is a distinct operational capability.
Peer intelligence: some of the most valuable regulatory insight comes not from reading legislation but from peers who have already worked through the same questions. That knowledge exists — but only if you are connected to the right networks.
“The Tech Coalition’s resources on transparency reporting were absolutely invaluable to our team — particularly essential as daily references as we developed our first Transparency Report for the EU Digital Services Act.”
Jenna Dietz, Trust and Safety Manager at VSCO, on preparing for DSA compliance
How the Tech Coalition helps members stay across it
The Tech Coalition does not lobby for specific legislation or speak on behalf of its members in regulatory proceedings. What it does is help tech companies build the capability to understand, track, and respond to the regulatory landscape as it evolves.
For members, that includes:
Monthly global policy briefs — a written briefing covering key legislative changes, regulatory updates, hearing summaries, and compliance preparation guidance across relevant jurisdictions. Delivered exclusively to members each month.
A policy team — monitoring legislative and regulatory developments globally across the Americas, APAC, and EU/EMEA regions, and translating them into practical guidance.
A member resource library — including the TC’s voluntary Trust Framework, updated to align with EU DSA transparency requirements, reporting templates, government access and disclosure guidance, and jurisdiction-specific reporting guides.
Knowledge-sharing groups — in 2025, more than 340 members across 30 different working groups spent nearly 1,000 hours collaborating on policy alignment, transparency reporting, age assurance, law enforcement engagement, and more. Regional groups cover the Americas, APAC, and EU/EMEA. Functional groups cover specific topics, trends, sectors and threats, from generative AI child safety to gaming and grooming.
“We’ve connected with industry peers and experts who keep us up-to-date on relevant legislative changes.”
Patricia Cartes Andrés, Senior Director of Trust and Safety at Cantina
Not ready for membership yet? Start with Pathways.
Pathways is the TC’s free capacity-building program, designed for tech platforms at an earlier stage of building their regulatory and safety capability. No membership required. It provides:
- Guidance on understanding key global regulatory requirements
- Toolkits for drafting child safety content policies
- Step-by-step reporting guides including getting started with NCMEC CyberTipline reporting
- Free access to Microsoft PhotoDNA image hashing sublicenses
Pathways is a genuine starting point — practical, free, and designed for teams that know they need to build capability but are not yet at the stage where full membership makes sense.
“Pathways acted as a constructive checkpoint that helped strengthen our integrity and safety practices around child safety, sharpening our readiness to publish our first transparency report with clarity and confidence.”
Patricia Wood, Stability AI’s Head of Integrity Operations
We’re here to talk
Online safety regulation is complex. It is also navigable — and the knowledge to navigate it already exists within the Tech Coalition’s member community.
If you want to understand what TC membership would mean in practice for your team, or simply want to talk through where your platform sits, I am happy to have that conversation.
Please reach out directly with the link below or explore the Pathways program.
Frequently asked questions
Once senior leaders understand the regulatory landscape, the questions usually become practical. Which frameworks apply to us? Does our location matter? What does our team actually need to do? And what can the Tech Coalition realistically help with?
How can small technology teams keep up with fast-moving online safety regulation?
Most small teams cannot track global regulatory developments independently — nor should they have to. The most effective approach is accessing shared intelligence: industry briefings, peer networks, and collaborative resources that compress the research burden significantly.
The TC’s monthly Global Policy Brief gives member teams regulatory intelligence across major jurisdictions without requiring extensive internal research. For platforms not yet ready for membership, Pathways provides free introductory guidance on key global regulatory requirements.
Which online safety regulations may be relevant to my platform?
The answer depends on factors including where your users are located, the size of your platform, the type of content you host, and whether your platform is likely to be used by children.
Many major frameworks, including the EU Digital Services Act, apply based on user base location rather than company headquarters.
The TC helps members understand relevant developments across jurisdictions and keeps that picture current as regulations evolve.
Does online safety regulation apply to us if we are headquartered outside the EU or UK?
Potentially yes. The EU Digital Services Act applies to any platform serving users within the European Union, regardless of where that platform is based.
Similar extraterritorial considerations apply to other frameworks. If your platform has users in a regulated jurisdiction, that jurisdiction’s framework may be worth understanding even without a local office or legal entity.
We recommend involving qualified legal counsel in any compliance assessment.
What is the EU Digital Services Act and is it relevant to us?
The Digital Services Act is an EU regulation applying to platforms offering services to EU users.
Among other requirements, it mandates transparency reports demonstrating online safety practices — regardless of where a company is headquartered.
The TC’s Trust Framework and transparency reporting resources were updated specifically to help members align with DSA requirements.
What is a transparency report and do we need one?
A transparency report is a public document describing a platform’s safety practices — including how it detects and removes harmful content, handles reporting, and structures its safety infrastructure.
The EU DSA explicitly requires transparency reporting for platforms serving EU users.
Beyond legal requirements, transparency reports are increasingly expected by regulators, investors, and enterprise clients as evidence of safety maturity.
The TC provides templates and guidance to help members produce their first report efficiently.
What is the TC’s monthly Global Policy Brief?
A written briefing delivered exclusively to TC members each month.
It covers key legislative changes, regulatory updates, summaries of relevant hearings, and practical guidance on upcoming compliance requirements — giving members the intelligence they need to stay informed without extensive independent research.
How does the Tech Coalition support members on regulation?
The TC provides regulatory intelligence, practical resources, and peer knowledge — not legal advice or compliance guarantees.
Support includes monthly policy briefings, a member resource library with reporting templates and jurisdictional guidance, and working groups where members navigate regulatory questions alongside peers who have already worked through them.
Each company remains responsible for its own legal and regulatory compliance, and the TC always recommends involving qualified legal counsel in compliance decisions.
What is the difference between Pathways and TC membership?
Pathways is a free program designed for technology platforms building their foundation in child safety and regulatory capability — no membership required. It provides introductory toolkits, regulatory guidance, reporting guides, and free Microsoft PhotoDNA sublicensing. TC membership provides deeper engagement: the monthly Global Policy Brief, the full member resource library, regional and functional working groups, and the Lantern cross-platform signal-sharing program where applicable. Pathways is the right starting point; membership is the natural next step for platforms ready to go further.
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