Complains Grow Against UK’s New Internet Law

(MENAFN) A campaign to revoke the United Kingdom’s recently enacted internet safety legislation has gained significant traction, amassing over 400,000 signatures in less than a week since its enforcement began.

Detractors argue the law hampers access to lawful material and undermines online privacy.

However, British authorities maintain that these regulations are vital for safeguarding minors.

The Online Safety Act, which was passed in 2023, authorizes the communications watchdog Ofcom to exercise extensive control over content created by users.

The agency is also empowered to enforce content moderation policies and compel platforms to implement age-verification procedures, particularly on services that are likely to be used by children.

A major component of the law came into effect last Friday, mandating that adult content sites adopt identification-based age checks.

This obligation extends to search providers, social networks, and other platforms identified as carrying higher risk.

Xbox has already started introducing these checks, with full compliance expected by 2026.

Nigel Farage, head of Reform UK, condemned the regulations as “state suppression of genuine free speech.”

His adviser, Zia Yusuf, denounced the act as a “massive overreach” that “plunges this country into a borderline dystopian state.”

Critics also caution that the new rules could limit content through ambiguous safety evaluations, effectively enabling censorship under the pretense of child welfare.

In reply, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle criticized Farage, claiming he was aligning himself with child abusers like the deceased Jimmy Savile.

Farage described the accusation as “absolutely disgusting” and demanded a formal public retraction.

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