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
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 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
What's the problem? The Online Safety Act has been a disaster. Rather than protect children, millions of adults are facing widespread censorship, and teenagers are having their freedom of expression restricted. Here are some of the key problems with the law: Wrongful Censorship: The law places huge liabilities and threats of jail on platforms if they don't censor the right content. It does little to protect freedom of expression. The results are in. Footage of protest censored on X. Subreddits about stopping smoking, sexual health, and the news age-gated and shadow-banned.
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
The Online Safety Act could harm expression online when it's more crucial than ever.
Faced with onerous duties, small sites will shutdown or block UK users, leaving us with the Sophie's Choice of algorithmically manipulative Big Tech platforms.
We need #netplurality so users can choose platforms that favour trust and positive interactions over misdirection and provocation.
Read now ➡️ https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/how-to-fix-the-online-safety-act-a-rights-first-approach/
🗣️ Dia J Kayyali
#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol
This week we published our report into the UK Online Safety Act.
We warn that the Act disproportionately impacts small sites, tipping the balance of power further towards Big Tech and threatening our freedom of expression online.
Read now ➡️ https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/how-to-fix-the-online-safety-act-a-rights-first-approach/
🗣️ @Bernard – co-author of 'How to Fix the Online Safety Act: A Rights First Approach'.
#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA #freedomofexpression #ofcom #ukpolitics #ukpol #netplurality #SaveOurSites
The UK Online Safety Act threatens net plurality.
ORG calls on the government not to centralise power in monopoly Big Tech. We need measures to introduce competition, so users can choose platform experiences they can trust.
Write to your MP #SaveOurSites ⬇️
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA #freedomofexpression #netplurality #ukpolitics #ukpol
Small UK websites, user-to-user services and even computer games that are completely safe and well managed, are faced with difficult paperwork, risks assessments, registration and fines thanks to the Online Safety Act. Even personal blogs with comments are forced to undergo these difficult tests and compliance tasks. Getting it wrong or ignoring them could cost an operator their house – as fines can be imposed for failing to do them. As a result, many small websites in the UK are deciding to close down.
In trying to tackle the worst of the web, we're harming the best of it.
In the face of onerous duties, sites may simply block UK users. And with it goes our right to access information.
That's why @wikipedia has launched a judicial review of the #OnlineSafetyAct.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62j2gr8866o
#OSA #freedomofexpression #netplurality #OnlineSafety #ukpolitics #ukpol #wikipedia #SaveOurSites
NEW REPORT: How to fix the UK Online Safety Act.
This broken legislation weighs heavy on small sites, exerting a burden that only Big Tech can withstand.
It further concentrates the market dominance of platforms that have incubated harmful content.
Instead we need greater user choice and voice over platforms.
Read more about our report ⬇️
#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #onlinesafety #bigtech #SaveOurSites #netplurality
The UK government must change the categorisation of sites under the Online Safety Act to protect net plurality.
Small and well moderated sites should be exempt from these duties to stop them from closing or blocking UK users.
Tell your MP to #SaveOurSites ⬇️
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
#OnlineSafetyAct #OSA #NetPlurality #ukpolitics #ukpol #wikipedia #freedomofexpression
Small UK websites, user-to-user services and even computer games that are completely safe and well managed, are faced with difficult paperwork, risks assessments, registration and fines thanks to the Online Safety Act. Even personal blogs with comments are forced to undergo these difficult tests and compliance tasks. Getting it wrong or ignoring them could cost an operator their house – as fines can be imposed for failing to do them. As a result, many small websites in the UK are deciding to close down.
Open Rights Group
