About our Online Safety Act news
Latest news on the Online Safety Act 2023, enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which aims to regulate online speech and media to ensure the safety of internet users, particularly children.
The Act gives the Secretary of State the authority, subject to parliamentary approval, to designate and suppress or record a broad spectrum of speech and media considered "harmful". It covers "user-to-user services," including a wide range of internet services where users can share content, such as written material, photographs, videos, and music.
Online platforms are required to take action against both illegal and legal but "harmful" content. Failing to do so could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of their annual turnover, whichever is higher. The Act also empowers Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, to block access to websites that don't comply and to impose service restriction orders.
The Act has been criticized for potentially undermining user privacy, especially regarding the requirement for platforms to scan for child pornography, which may not be feasible without compromising encryption. Concerns have also been raised about the government's potential overreach in regulating speech and the Act's complexity and potential threat to human rights. Organizations like Article 19 and the Open Rights Group have described the Act as a threat to human rights and a "censor's charter".
Several technology firms, including WhatsApp and Apple Inc., have voiced opposition to the Act, particularly regarding its implications for end-to-end encryption. They argue that the Act poses a serious threat to user privacy and security.