Events
Research and Policy Seminar: The Future of the Online Safety Act
Friday 6 June 9:00 until 17:30
University of Sussex Campus : Moot Room, Freeman Building (and online)
Part of the series: Sussex Centre for Law and Technology
The Sussex Centre for Law and Technology (SCLT) invites you to our one-day hybrid seminar: "The Future of the Online Safety Act 2023" on 6 June 2025 at the University of Sussex and online.
Join academics, practitioners, civil society representatives, and policymakers for this event where participants will share insights, present research, and foster partnerships that contribute to ongoing policy discussions about the Act's implementation, application, and potential amendments.
This seminar is jointly funded by the British and Irish Law, Education and Technology Association (BILETA) through its Research Seminar Awards scheme and the University of Sussex. BILETA supports and promotes research in law, education and technology.
All attendees must register using the relevant link so we can accurately plan for catering and manage the online room. The seminar will be a full-day event. Spaces for in-person attendance are limited, so please only register for in-person attendance if you are sure you can attend.
For in-person attendance, please register using this link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lpsresearch/1651392
For online attendance, please register using this link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lpsresearch/1667291
Draft Conference Agenda*
*a full, detailed agenda will be emailed to attendees prior to the event
900-920: Registration & Coffee
920-930: Welcome - Phoebe Li (Sussex) & Jessica Shurson (Sussex)
930-1100: Panel 1: Online Safety Regime: regulated services and statutory duties
Moderator: Phoebe Li (Sussex)
Kim Barker (Lincoln)
David Banisar (LSE)
Bernard Keenan (UCL)
Ellie Colegate Nottingham)
Felipe Romero Moreno (Hertfordshire)
1100-1145: Panel 2: The view from legal practice and small/not-for-profit providers
Moderator/Interviewer: Javier Ruiz Diaz (Sussex)
Neil Brown (Decoded.legal)
Rachel Coldicutt (Careful Industries)
Lucy Crompton-Reid (Wikimedia UK)
Graham Smith (Bird & Bird)
1145-1215: Coffee Break
1215-1300: Panel 3: Safeguarding children online: Ofcom’s guidance and codes of practice
Moderator/Interviewer: Beatriz Kira (Sussex)
Andy Burrows (Molly Rose Foundation)
Rani Govender (NSPCC)
Maeve Walsh (Online Safety Act Network)
Sumaiya Zahoor (Internet Watch Foundation)
1300-1400: Lunch
1400-1530: Panel 4: The Act’s impact on journalists andfreedom of expression
Moderator: Judith Townend (Sussex)
Danielle Hopton-Jones (Worcester)
Eliza Bechtold (Oxford)
Irini Katsirea (Sheffield)
Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt (UCL and Cambridge)
1530-1600: Coffee Break
1600-1730: Panel 5: Safety-by-Design, Criminal Detection and New Offences
Moderator: Jessica Shurson (Sussex)
Mark Leiser (DigiData) & Andrew Murray (LSE)
Julia Hörnle (QMUL)
Micheál Ó Floinn (Glasgow)
Melanie McLaughlan (Northumbria) & Sarah Stevenson (Northumbria)
Gavin Robinson (Leiden)
1730: Closing remarks & Reception
By: Jessica Shurson
Last updated: Monday, 19 May 2025