UK Online Safety Act: Difference between revisions

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==Consumer response==

According to analysis by Cloudwards, [[Google]] searches for "how to get around age verification" and "is VPN legal in the UK" saw a massive growth of over 450 thousand and 380 thousand percent respectively.<ref name=":5" /> United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260211054348/https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |archive-date=11 Feb 2026}}</ref> As of 16 August 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128065314/https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>

One of the issues with age verification of children is that they may not have identity verification documents such as a credit card or driving license<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-06-16 |title=Five big questions about the UK's under-16s social media ban |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9824zvpz9po |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260616152325/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9824zvpz9po |archive-date=2026-06-16 |access-date=2026-06-16 |work=BBC News |pages=Section 4}}</ref>, so to require such documents would limit accessibility of a service. Facial and expression analysis have been used, but this is also known to have flaws such as some being bypassed by underage users drawing mustaches on their face<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zack |first=Whittaker |date=2026-05-06 |title=Some kids are bypassing age-verification checks with a fake mustache |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/some-kids-are-bypassing-age-verification-checks-with-a-fake-mustache/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260526080752/https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/some-kids-are-bypassing-age-verification-checks-with-a-fake-mustache/ |archive-date=2026-05-26 |access-date=2026-06-16 |work=TechCrunch}}</ref>.

===OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk===

[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk~~/in_memoriam~~/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260210232703/https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/ Archived])</ref> a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@[email protected]) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216062932/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260210232703/https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/ Archived])</ref> a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@[email protected]) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216062932/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

===Use Their ID===

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 ==Consumer response==
 According to analysis by Cloudwards, [[Google]] searches for "how to get around age verification" and "is VPN legal in the UK" saw a massive growth of over 450 thousand and 380 thousand percent respectively.<ref name=":5" /> United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260211054348/https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |archive-date=11 Feb 2026}}</ref> As of 16 August 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128065314/https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>
+One of the  issues with age verification of children is that they may  not have identity verification documents such as a credit card or driving license<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-06-16 |title=Five big questions about the UK's under-16s social media ban |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9824zvpz9po |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260616152325/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9824zvpz9po |archive-date=2026-06-16 |access-date=2026-06-16 |work=BBC News |pages=Section 4}}</ref>, so to require such documents would limit accessibility of a service. Facial and expression analysis have been used, but this is also known to have flaws such as some being bypassed by underage users drawing mustaches on their face<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zack |first=Whittaker |date=2026-05-06 |title=Some kids are bypassing age-verification checks with a fake mustache |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/some-kids-are-bypassing-age-verification-checks-with-a-fake-mustache/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260526080752/https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/some-kids-are-bypassing-age-verification-checks-with-a-fake-mustache/ |archive-date=2026-05-26 |access-date=2026-06-16 |work=TechCrunch}}</ref>.
 ===OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk===
-[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/in_memoriam/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260210232703/https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/ Archived])</ref> a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@[email protected]) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216062932/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.
+[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260210232703/https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/ Archived])</ref> a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@[email protected]) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216062932/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.
 ===Use Their ID===