US Edition
UK's online safety law is putting free speech at risk, X says
UNITED KINGDOM, AUG 04 – The law mandates age verification and content monitoring, prompting over 468,000 petition signatures amid concerns of censorship and privacy violations, officials said.
- Britain's Online Safety Act began its enforcement on July 24, 2025, after Parliament passed the Act in September 2023, establishing new online safety regulations.
- Designed to safeguard young users, the Act aims to reduce illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material, and control minors' exposure.
- Ofcom, British media regulator, mandates platforms ensure age checks are technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair, with non-compliance risking fines of up to 18 million pounds .
- VPN apps topped Apple's UK download store since last week, with Proton reporting a 1,800% rise in downloads earlier this week, as X accused Britain's government of 'overreach' on Friday.
- The Act will require platforms to prevent under 16s from accessing objectionable content, with the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team tasked to identify civil unrest signs by December 2025.
47 Articles
47 Articles
Elon Musk's X platform accused the United Kingdom of “censorship” in relation to online security standards. A company, previously known as Twitter, stated that “freedom of expression will suffer” and requested “significant changes” of the law, writes The Telegraph.
Gaza posts blocked on social media under UK Online Safety Act
Social media companies are blocking posts related to the war on Gaza to comply with the UK's new Online Safety Act, which came into effect on 25 July. BBC Verify found that content on X and Reddit has been restricted on X for those who have not verified their age on the sites. The content includes topics from the war on Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to parliamentary debates on grooming gangs. The report highlighted that a video posted t…
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