If you operate a platform where users under 18 might be present — a game, a community forum, a tutoring app, a messaging tool — there's a good chance you've heard that child safety regulations are getting stricter. You may have heard "DSA" and "UK Online Safety Act" mentioned. You might have a vague sense that you're probably in scope for something. But the actual requirements are surprisingly opaque, especially for smaller teams who can't afford a compliance consultant. This post walks through what DSA and UKOSA actually require, what counts as "reasonable" compliance for a small platform, and what you'd need to build (or deploy) to demonstrate it. Two Laws. One Problem. EU Digital Services Act (DSA) came into force for all platforms in February 2024. It applies to any online intermediary operating in the EU — regardless of where the platform is headquartered. UK Online Safety Act (UKOSA) completed its phased implementation in January 2025, with additional categorization duties taking effect in July 2026.…