New on my blog: Ofcom’s proactive technology measures: principles-based or vague? #OnlineSafetyAct https://www.cyberleagle.com/2025/08/ofcoms-proactive-technology-measures.html

Bahah. Somebody has also FOI'd Ofcom too asking them for their own assessment into how safe it was to tweet links to their own website, which then (with hyperlinks) subsequently links to the 34 porn sites they are investigating. Which do not have age verification.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ofcoms_compliance_with_the_onlin

#OnlineSafetyAct

“Crucial public debate about Gaza is being threatened by vague, overly broad laws that could lead to content about Palestine being removed or hidden online. How these laws are applied should concern everyone regardless of their political views.”

Ofcom must uphold free expression, so people can engage online without fear of being micharacterised as terrorists.

🗣️ Sara Chitseko for ORG.

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #freespeech

“The heavy-handed takedown of digital content, fuelled by overly-broad terrorism definitions, will inevitably suppress critical voices, journalism and social movements around the world.

It is very likely that in trying to comply with these requirements, platforms would unjustly remove content from people in the EU and other regions."

🗣️ @ella for @edri.

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech

What's 'illegal' is open to interpretation.

UK terror laws criminalise people for taking part in a proscribed group AND for expressing 'support' which is 'reckless' in getting others to support it.

This risks encouraging automated moderation that disproportionately affects political speech, particularly from marginalised communities, including Palestinian voices.

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech

Platforms have a duty to mitigate the risk of 'illegal' content under the UK Online Safety Act.

Faced with unclear definitions, they'll over-moderate content about protest and Palestine solidarity.

Ofcom even advises them they can bypass duties by censoring more than is required!

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech #OSA

Palestine Action ban + UK Online Safety Act = widespread censorship of content about Palestine 🚫

Lawful posts could be swept up by overly broad definitions of terrorism and wrongly removed by platforms. It's a serious attack on freedom of expression and the right to protest in the UK.

Read our open letter from human rights groups and experts ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/human-rights-defenders-raise-concerns-that-online-safety-act-will-lead-to-censorship-of-palestine-protest/

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech

"Tim Je" made a website that uses AI to programmatically generate fake IDs of United Kingdom politicians.

You should never use something like this for UK Age Verification. That would be quite inappropriate ...

https://use-their-id.com

#OnlineSafetyAct #Privacy

Alt...

"Tim Je" made a website that uses AI to programmatically generate fake IDs of United Kingdom politicians. This was done to mock the United Kingdom Online Safety Act

Absolutely insane that Ofcom is paying influencers to astroturf the #OnlineSafetyAct. I’ll be complaining to their board about this gross misallocation of funds. Ofcom is a regulator, it should not be involved in polishing public perception of the Labour Party’s authoritarian behaviour right now.

Relevant Torygraph article http://archive.today/st4dO / https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/08/01/influencers-promote-britain-new-porn-age-checks/ #OnlineSafetyAct

Is there precedent for this at all? I’m not aware of any other situation in which Ofcom have seen fit to do this… #OnlineSafetyAct

Folks, while everyone is losing their minds about age verification in the #OnlineSafetyAct, and while we here know all about the shuttering of community run sites, where are we at with the client-side-scanning provisions and the undermining of encryption?

Because that hammer is still right there in the act…
@JamesBaker @pluralistic

Age verification has overextended itself 🚨

UK users are coerced into giving sensitive data to many unregulated providers under the threat of wide-ranging censorship.

It’s an open goal for cybercriminals 🤬

Tell your MP (UK) the Online Safety Act isn’t working ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #privacy #ageverification #onlinesafety #OSA #ukpol #ukpolitics #freeexpression #censorship #freedomofexpression #freespeech

"Thanks to the Online Safety Act, people in Britain are being compelled to use unregulated age verification tools in order to access content online."

The UK government must “limit the scope of the Act so that people aren’t forced to risk their privacy whenever they go online.”

As age verification blocks porn AND ‘harmful’ content, millions are put at risk.

🗣️ ORG’s @JamesBaker

https://bylinetimes.com/2025/07/31/the-online-safety-act-is-forcing-brits-to-hand-over-personal-data-to-unregulated-overseas-corporations-with-questionable-privacy-records/

#OnlineSafetyAct #privacy #ageverification #ukpolitics

Do you or have you ever expressed support for #PalestineAction online? To paraphrase McCarthy.

Is the content still up? We want to monitor takedowns: send us your URLs!
#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA

@christineburns

Now, this is the best coverage I've seen critiquing the #OnlineSafetyAct

Yes, we need MORE regulation of these industries - because (just like the OSA) we need to protect consumers from exploitation.

But remember, the risk of exploitation and hacking already exists right now on every phone and app. OSA is just one more use case.

Those who simply want to repeal OSA make the exploitative techbros very happy (and of course, they are amplified exponentially)

UK sex workers - are you having issues with #AdultWork ?
A friend is getting a tonne of "non-compliant" notifications for “content intended to seduce” since the #OSA kicked in.

#OnlineSafetyAct

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

We warn that the Palestine Action ban coupled with UK Online Safety Act is ‘a threat to public debate’.

The OSA forces “terrorist” content to be removed, meaning PA and Palestinian content could easily be swept up and deleted, warn @eff @edri and many others.

Read about our open letter ⬇️

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/02/palestine-action-ban-coupled-with-online-safety-act-are-threat-to-public-debate

#onlinesafetyact #osa #palestine #gaza #onlinesafety #freeexpression #censorship #freedomofexpression #freespeech #ofcom #ukpolitics #ukpol

I wrote this short thing on the OSA (an actual mess), grief, and writing about sex.

CW for the aforementioned grief, eating disorders, and mental health.

https://robyneatseverything.com/the-osa-sex-and-a-funeral/

#SexBlog #OnlineSafetyAct

Peter Kyle: “For everybody who’s out there thinking of using VPNs, let me just say to you directly: verifying your age keeps a child safe”

I mean, politicians lie and all that but this is a porker. Jumping through privacy-intruding hoops keeps precisely zero children safe. It keeps making money for unregulated age estimation companies.

The #OnlineSafetyAct regime keeps children “safe” from valuable health and education material and potentially makes it harder for them to escape abuse at home.

Oh look, MPs are claiming for VPNs on their expenses. #onlinesafetyact

https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-mps-charge-vpns-expenses-minister-caution-tech-jonathan-reynolds-data/

Teens are left in the dark when it comes to getting support or news online.

Adults have to stay in the soft play area unless they scatter their ID or biometrics across the Internet.

The UK Online Safety Act is a shoddy, dangerous law.

Tell your MP it’s gotta change ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#onlinesafetyact #onlinesafety #ageverification #privacy #dataprotection #ukpolitics #ukpol #agegating #censorship #freeexpression

Blink and you’ll have never seen it in the first place 🫥

Age verification rules in the UK Online Safety Act are snapping parts of the Internet out of existence.

But it’s not what you think (porn)!

News on conflicts: GONE. Support for sexual health and smoking: GONE.

Watch as ORG’s @JamesBaker shows how censorship works ⬇️

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #osa #censorship #reddit #ageverification #vpn #privacy #freeexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #freedomofexpression

The UK Online Safety Act is a hot mess 🥴

Drunk on boarding up more of the Internet than even the government's paedo test could justify.

Pushing people into riskier stuff online, enabling scammers and walking off with your ID.

Tell your MP to sort it out! ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #privacy #ageverification #ageassurance #ukpolitics #ukpol #netplurality #censorship #cybersecurity

Plurality online is being wrecked.

The UK Online Safety Act imposes heavy burdens on small sites, including risk assessments for a broad range of content, the threat of fines or the cost of checking the age of every user.

❌ Many small sites are shutting down or blocking UK users entirely.

✅ Change the categorisation of sites, so small sites and instances are exempt.

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #privacy #ageverification #ageassurance #ukpolitics #ukpol #netplurality

The Online Safety Act is technologically naive and ignorant to privacy risks, so people are finding ways around age verification. But...

❌ Teens could be pushed towards riskier things like the dark web, dodgy free VPNs or scams.

✅ Invest in a public information campaign to help people navigate online safety and learn about the privacy risks of age verification.

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #privacy #ageverification #ageassurance #ukpolitics #ukpol #security #cybersecurity

Age verification goes way beyond porn, impacting everything from Reddit to Spotify to Xbox.

❌ Content is being age gated when it shouldn’t, including subreddits for sexual health like r/STD, for health like r/stopsmoking, or news like r/israelexposed and an X post featuring a speech about grooming gangs by Katie Lam MP.

✅ Limit the scope of the UK Online Safety Act.

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #privacy #ageverification #ageassurance #ukpolitics #ukpol #freedomofexpression #censorship

Reddit, Grindr and Bluesky have chosen age verification providers based outside the UK with concerning privacy policies. Go figure.

❌ You can't choose provider
❌ Platforms don't need to pick certified providers
❌ Providers don't need to meet specific privacy or security standards

✅ Regulate the age verification industry now.

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #privacy #ageverification #ageassurance #ukpolitics #ukpol #freedomofexpression #censorship #netplurality

How's it going since the UK Online Safety Act slammed an age gate on the Internet?

Age verification providers with dodgy privacy policies, over-moderation of content, scammers scheming and sites closing down.

Here's a week in the life of an unworkable law ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/the-great-british-firewall-age-verification-has-failed/

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #OSA #privacy #ageverification #ageassurance #ukpolitics #ukpol #freedomofexpression #censorship #netplurality

@openrightsgroup I've sent an email to my MP, and added;

"I will also add, calling critics of this law "JIMMY SAVILE" is the most politically inept and childish thing I've seen in British Politics recently. Are we returning to the Playground?
I mean, I hate Nigel Farage but your boy Peter Kyle really handed him a win, didn't he?"

#Labour #OnlineSafetyAct #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS #NigelFarage #Farage #PeterKyle #JimmySavile #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS

The UK Online Safety Act has hit the fan 💩

It's clear to see in the overreaching censorship across platforms due to age-gated content.

Plus the privacy risks being stored up with an unregulated age verification industry.

Tell your MP it's gone too far ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #privacy #freedomofexpression #OSA #ukpol #ukpolitics #censorship #agegate #ageverification #ageassurance

Liberal Reform have condemned the UK #OnlineSafetyAct for its threat to privacy and free exchange of information.

"Article 8 of the ECHR is clear that there is a right to privacy. By requiring age verification to access certain websites, the legislation forces people to put their names next to their search history on the internet."

Will the #LibDems oppose this "poorly drafted legislation"?

https://www.libdemvoice.org/we-have-a-duty-of-care-to-speak-out-against-the-online-safety-act-77994.html

#onlinesafety #privacy #freedomofexpression #OSA #ukpol #ukpolitics

This from #Ofcom is nonsense. It is not websites that are causing VPN usage to skyrocket, it is government incompetence.

Perhaps Ofcom should fine Peter Kyle and the government for promoting VPNs. #onlinesafetyact

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/07/uk-government-warns-promoting-the-use-of-vpns-could-attract-fines.html

Adults treated like kids unless they sacrifice privacy. Young people cut off from support and information. Public debate neutered.

Ofcom must take stock of these threats to freedom of expression and Parliament must reform the Online Safety Act to limit its scope.

Tell your MP to fix it ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #freedomofexpression #censorship #ukpolitics #ukpol #privacy #ofcom #OSA #agegate

“We’re seeing teens being prevented from accessing content about sexual health, politics and news.

If adults want to see this content, they are forced to prove how old they are with unregulated age verification companies.

Meanwhile, small websites are closing down because they are worried about being fined because of these onerous demands.”

🗣️ ORG's @JamesBaker

https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/68340/1/britain-uk-new-online-safety-laws-are-already-disaster-internet-censorship

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #freedomofexpression #censorship #ukpolitics

The UK Online Safety Act has erected an age wall through the Internet 🚧

UK users are forced to accept censorship or hand over sensitive data to unregulated providers.

The government’s response? You’re a predator 🤨

Enough. Tell your MP to fix it now ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #OnlineSafety #privacy #OSA #ageverification #agegate #ukpolitics #ukpol #censorship #spotify #reddit

I'm your (not so) private dancer 🔞

Spotify users in the UK have to verify their age to listen to Parental Advisory music due to the Online Safety Act.

We're being infantalised for something that's already manageable by parental controls.

It could even end up in accounts being deactivated 🤯

Bad law makes for bad, incoherent outcomes. That's the #OSA for you.

https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/

#OnlineSafetyAct #ageverification #agegate #ukpol #ukpolitics #spotify #privacy #onlinesafety #censorship

According to the Labour Government, these people are all Jimmy Savile.

That's the level of political debate coming from UKGOV right now.

You know they want to say this about all LGBTQIA people as well, you can just feel it "We have to hide you all for the CHILDREN you see, you're all sex criminals, and we're not...."

https://news.sky.com/story/hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-backlash-against-internet-safety-rules-13403603

#OnlineSafetyAct #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS #Censorship #Slander

Here's a post from @iftas on navigating the Online Safety Act.

https://about.iftas.org/2025/07/30/navigating-the-uk-online-safety-act/

"Jaz attended TrustCon 2025, where Ofcom, along with many other national internet safety regulators, had a strong presence. He met with representatives, attended sessions, and had informal conversations about how the regulator views decentralised services.

Ofcom understands that independent platforms serve community needs and do not necessarily pose the same systemic risks as profit-driven networks. Their message was consistent: low-risk, volunteer-run services are not the focus of enforcement. If you are operating in good faith, acting proportionately, and keeping your community safe, you are already on the right path."

#OnlineSafetyAct

#OnlineSafetyAct oh no, I've found a place that a) kids are somewhat likely to visit, b) contains material that could harm a young mind and c) has no #ageverification requirement!

It's Waterstones.

@openrightsgroup The Technology Minister calling everyone who has a problem with this stupid law, 'Jimmy Savile' yesterday.....is he well?

#OnlineSafetyAct #UKPOL #UKPOLTICS #PeterKyle

ORG warned of the dangers and pitfalls contained in the UK Online Safety Bill.

We call for a rights-based approach. One that limits the scope of the OSA to minimise threats to free expression and regulates the age verification industry.

Here’s how ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/how-to-fix-the-online-safety-act-a-rights-first-approach/

#onlinesafetyact #onlinesafety #ageverification #ageassurance #privacy #dataprotection #ukpolitics #ukpol #agegating #censorship #osa

The UK Online Safety Act is a badly designed, overblown piece of legislation.

Age verification was plonked in without a care for how it was regulated or its excessive reach.

From Reddit to Spotify, UK users are faced with a Faustian bargain: surrender privacy for free expression.

It’s a disaster.

#onlinesafetyact #onlinesafety #ageverification #ageassurance #privacy #dataprotection #ukpolitics #ukpol #agegating #censorship #osa

With over 420k people signing a petition to repeal the UK Online Safety Act, it’s clear that MPs need to fix this mess!

Rather than protect children, millions of adults are facing widespread censorship and threats to their privacy.

Write to your MP now (UK) ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#onlinesafetyact #onlinesafety #privacy #osa #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #censorship #ageverification #ageassurance

#Libdems opposition to the #onlinesafetyact is beginning to snowball

Quite rightly, they are asking for suspension and a rethink.

Where is the opposition within Labour, Jeremy Corbyn's new grouping and the UK Green Parties? I hope they can also speak out against this car crash.

https://www.libdemvoice.org/we-have-a-duty-of-care-to-speak-out-against-the-online-safety-act-77994.html

no more music for U-18s in UK 🙃

#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA #AgeVerification #Spotify #Tech #Technology #Privacy #Censorship #Surveillance

Alt...

Spotify age verification prompt: We need to check your age To access certain content and features on Spotify, we need to make sure you're 18 or older. This won't take long Green button: Confirm I'm 18+ Black button: Not now