I'm now getting customers asking me how they can make their business #OnlineSafetyAct (UK) compliant.
These are small businesses who don't have any kind of forum or customer to customer interaction. Grrr.
Recent searches
Search options
#OnlineSafetyAct
26 posts19 participants8 posts today
@pieist@qoto.orgThanks to the risks and burdens imposed by the preposterously draconian blunt instrument that is the #OnlineSafetyAct (UK) of 2023, I've just unceremoniously closed down a collaborative website I've operated for almost exactly 27 years.
There's still time to put pressure on the UK government.
The UK Secretary of State has the power to exempt small, safely moderated websites from the Online Safety duties.
We need urgent change to protect net plurality, rather than further consolidating power in monopoly platforms. We need competition for a safer Internet.
Write to your MP (UK) #SaveOurSites 
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
Open Rights GroupSave our sites - Write to your MPSmall 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.
The UK Online Safety Act comes into effect today.
Its onerous duties may cause many small sites, blogs and fedi instances to shut down or geoblock UK users when faced with potential fines and penalties.
This won't keep children safe. It'll benefit large platforms like Facebook and X that are laying waste to content moderation.
The Register · It's not just Big Tech: The UK's Online Safety Act applies across the board
Ofcom’s risk assessment deadline has passed, and online platforms must now take action to protect users from illegal content and activity occurring on their platforms. Significant fines await those who fail.
https://www.computing.co.uk/news-analysis/2025/new-online-safety-act-measures-come-into-force
www.computing.co.ukNew Online Safety Act measures come into forceOfcom’s risk assessment deadline has passed, and online platforms must now take action to protect users from illegal content and activity occurring on their platforms. ...
Just published the Online Safety Act pages for my two web applications.
Viking Mind (bookmarks, out of scope):
https://vikingmind.uk/online-safety-act
Pick a Date (polls + votes, in scope):
https://pickadate.uk/online-safety-act
Pick a Date will probably go through a couple more versions to tighten things up. I've also disabled comments on all my blogs.
Feels like a waste of time, but there's no exemption for small / low risk sites.
vikingmind.ukViking Mind - Online Safety Act
Shut vile death video site, families say, as Ofcom gets new powers
...
From Monday, Ofcom gets new powers to crack down on illegal content, but it may not be enough to close the site.
Ofcom has no powers to "shut" or "close" sites.
At most, it can seek an order from a court to compel ISPs on the UK to attempt to block access (which probably means abusing DNS).
And from the summer all sites must have robust age verification systems to prevent children accessing a range of content.
No, they don't.
Bravo, BBC. Another excellent job reporting the facts there.
BBC NewsShut vile death video site, families say, as Ofcom gets new powersFamilies want a website showing deaths of their loved ones to be taken down, as the online regulator gets new powers.
I spent a good chunk of my weekend helping people running tiny, low risk, online services complete paperwork about the UK’s Online Safety Act, for zero discernible benefit.
So it is a bit galling that the main headline on the BBC this morning is about the government wanting to “slash red tape”.
I have spent one heck of a lot of time on the OSA, trying to help others with its burden, and it just seems so utterly unnecessary.
Ofcom HQ tomorrow as some of the #OnlineSafetyAct rules come into force. #censorship
GIF
When it comes to blogs, Ofcom says one thing, the UK Online Safety Act says another.
This lack of clarity over whether blogs with comments are exempt will push small sites to shut down completely.
We need the UK government to tighten up the definitions and exemptions in the Act.
Read our explainer for more detail 
https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/save-our-sites-deadline-17-march/
Open Rights GroupSave our Sites: Deadline 17 MarchIncredible as it may seem, thanks to the Online Safety Act, dozens of harmless, safe, small websites are closing down by 17 March, rather than face threats of fines that could lose their operators their homes.
Under the UK Online Safety Act, small blogs, forums and fedi instances are faced with disproportionate requirements to:
️ Check if they have UK users
️ Do a risk assessment on whether kids might access the content, or if CSAM or terrorist material might be posted in the comments
️ Put themselves at the risk of fines, and even prison sentences, if they fail to comply with Ofcom’s future directives
The UK Online Safety Act burdens small sites with duties and penalties that they can't shoulder. They'll shut down instead, stripping us of net plurality.
There’s a simple solution:
Exempt small, safely run blogs, forums and fedi instances The government can do this now
The duties start TOMORROW – Write to your MP 
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
Open Rights GroupSave our sites - Write to your MPSmall 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.
It is done. RIP furry.energy #OnlineSafetyAct
Saddling small sites with the same duties as huge platforms means many will shut down in a hammer blow to net plurality.
We'll be left with the Sophie’s choice of monopoly services; the incubators of online harms.
URGENT: The UK government must change the Online Safety Act to protect safe, non-commercial blogs, forums and fediverse.
Write to your MP to #SaveOurSites
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
Open Rights GroupSave our sites - Write to your MPSmall 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.
@jaz@toot.walesMrh?
Bah-bah #UrbanDead - it was a fun 20 years, but now we are all of us zombies.
It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to this iconic piece of gaming history, and to some degree, another nail in the coffin of the WWW pre "Web 2.0" some of us were a part of.
404 
Blogs, forums and fedi instances are facing burdensome duties and penalties imposed by the UK #OnlineSafetyAct.
Despite being small and safely moderated, the Act sweeps them up into the same regime as platforms like Facebook and X. This is overkill, resulting in many shutting down or blocking UK users.
With the duties going live on 17 March, urgent action is required to exempt small sites.
Act NOW to #SaveOurSites
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
Open Rights GroupSave our sites - Write to your MPSmall 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.
Will the last small site turn off the lights?
The UK Online Safety Act imposes the same duties and penalties on blogs, forums and fedi instances as huge platforms.
Many small, safely moderated sites will shut down or block UK users.
Crushing competition is the last thing we need for a safer Internet!
Act now before 17 March
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
Open Rights GroupSave our sites - Write to your MPSmall 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.
Keep kids off Roblox if you're worried, its CEO tells parents
A measured and timely reminder about parental choice and responsibility, including in respect of online and computer stuff.
BBC NewsKeep kids off Roblox if worried, CEO Dave Baszucki tells parentsThe gaming platform is wildly popular, but has been rocked by allegations it exposes children to harmful content.
still on the #OnlineSafetyAct , UK folk you are going to become very familiar with how shitty age verification providers are.
and if you're trans, or recently divorced, or recently married... or for any reason at all don't have all your identity lined up perfectly everywhere with the same name... then I'm so very sorry for what you're going to go through.
The UK government must tighten up the definitions and exemptions in the Online Safety Act to avoid the loss of safe spaces online.
The Secretary of State has the power to change the categorisation of sites NOW.
Write to your MP to exempt small and harmless sites BEFORE 17 March
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp
Open Rights GroupSave our sites - Write to your MPSmall 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.