DTSP Safe Framework Specification
ISO/IEC 25389
The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership’s Safe Framework Specification has been formally published as an international standard, ISO/IEC 25389. The standard, which is the first of its kind, was developed within the Joint Technical Committee 1 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for information technology (JTC 1).
The Safe Framework Specification is functionally identical to ISO/IEC 25389. You may access the specification from DTSP here or obtain ISO/IEC 25389 from the ISO website here.
ISO/IEC 25389 includes updated versions of the DTSP framework of best practices for trust and safety as well as its pioneering method for assessing the maturity of an organization’s digital safety practices. The ISO/IEC 25389 framework also provides a flexible set of aims for managing content- and conduct-related risks, allowing digital services to map their specific practices to these overarching commitments.
In January 2025, the Safe Framework was decisively approved in a vote by national standards bodies from all over the world.
Looking ahead, DTSP will retain control and be responsible for the maintenance of the Safe Framework, including future review of the international standard with broad stakeholder consultation and public input.
DTSP welcomes feedback on this specification so that it can be improved in the future. Feedback should be sent to contact@dtspartnership.org.
DTSP Shares the Safe Framework on Ctrl-Alt-Speech
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the first international standard for trust and safety?
Yes, this is the first ISO/IEC international standard for trust and safety, providing guidance that organizations can use to reduce content- and conduct-related risks, regardless of their source or nature.
There are standards published by the IEEE about age-appropriate design, and ISO standards that deal with specific topics such as online reviews or safety in the sharing economy, but ISO/IEC 2538 is the first broad international standard addressing user-generated content and behavior online.
What are you hoping to accomplish with this standard?
Our objective is a safer and more trustworthy internet, and we expect this international standard to substantially advance that goal, providing globally relevant guidance that clarifies what trust and safety entails, helps companies assess implementation of best practices, and allows organizations regardless of size, business model, or product type to align with scalable best practices.
How will companies implement this standard?
Companies can use the Safe Framework to formalize their trust and safety practices.
ISO/IEC 25389 provides guidance rather than requirements, so conformance with it cannot be certified unlike some other well-known ISO standards. DTSP is already recognized as a source of international best practices under Australian industry codes and standards for online safety, and some companies have used the Safe Framework as part of regulatory risk assessments in the European Union.
Will all DTSP partner companies implement the standard?
ISO/IEC 25389 is a voluntary standard and it is up to companies whether and how they choose to implement it. Some companies may directly implement the Safe Framework, and others may adapt it as part of their trust and safety risk management processes.
Why does the standard contain recommendations instead of requirements?
Like some other international standards covering topics ranging from social responsibility to gender equality, ISO/IEC 25389 provides guidance rather than requirements. It is a first step toward a shared global understanding of best practices for trust and safety informing efforts by industry, governments, and civil society.
Will DTSP certify company conformance with the Safe Framework?
The first edition of ISO/IEC 25389 provides guidance rather than requirements, so it cannot be certified unlike some other well-known ISO standards. DTSP continues to explore approaches to conformity assessment as part of the future evolution of the Safe Framework, mindful that today there are regulations governing trust and safety in many jurisdictions around the world.
How was this standard developed?
ISO/IEC 25389 combines the DTSP Best Practices Framework, launched publicly in February 2021, and the Safe Framework for assessing implementation of those practices.
The Safe Framework was updated to reflect feedback based on implementation of the Framework as well as input from a public consultation held in late 2022 and early 2023. DTSP invited comments from the public – specifically input from civil society, governments, and individual experts from academia. To engage external stakeholders globally, DTSP
organized three virtual meetings, held to accommodate stakeholders located in Asia-Pacific, the
Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Approximately 120 participants joined the meetings from 27 countries. Participants included representatives from government agencies and regulators, intergovernmental organizations, a wide array of academic experts, and NGOs including child safety organizations, digital rights groups, and think tanks and multi-stakeholder initiatives. DTSP later published a summary of the stakeholder consultations and the public input received as part of the consultation.
In July 2024, DTSP published the Safe Framework Specification, which is functionally identical to ISO/25389, and made it publicly available on our website at no cost.
Who approved it?
DTSP is one of only 18 organizations approved by JTC 1 to submit publicly available specifications for review and approval as ISO/IEC standards. DTSP was recognized as meeting specific organizational criteria in a vote by national standards bodies in November 2023.
In January 2025, the Safe Framework was decisively approved in a vote by national standards bodies from all over the world. This vote demonstrated that the Safe Framework met the extensive document requirements for publicly available specifications.
Because DTSP makes the Safe Framework available without cost, ISO/IEC 25389 is also one of relatively few international standards that is publicly available at no charge.