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   'No plans to repeal the Online Safety Act'  UK government responds to age   
   verification backlash   
      
   Date:   
   Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:09:35 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Opposition to the UK's Online Safety Act is growing as age verification rules   
   come into force, but the government isn't backing down.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The UK government says it has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, as   
   opposition to it grows in the wake of the introduction of online age   
   verification checks.    
      
   A petition calling on the government to scrap the Act has amassed over    
   450,000 signatures in just a few days. While the Act became law in 2023, the   
   backlash has been sparked by the recent introduction of age verification   
   checks for users of many websites.    
      
   From July 25, Britons need to go through robust mandatory age checks in order   
   to access adult-only websites and any potentially harmful content online.    
      
   While the government says the laws are intended to protect both children and   
   adults who use the internet, critics argue that they have serious    
   implications for people's privacy, online security, free speech, and access    
   to information.   
      
   The UK Parliament must consider a debate on any petition that gets more than   
   100,000 signatures. However, responding to the petition, the UK's Department   
   for Science, Innovation, and Technology said: "The Government has no plans to   
   repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement   
   the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit   
   from its protections."    
      
   It added: "The Government will continue to work with Ofcom towards the full   
   implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023, including monitoring   
   proportionate implementation."   
      
   What's behind the age verification backlash?    
      
   The Online Safety Act is aimed at making the internet a safer place,   
   especially for children. But many online privacy advocates and security   
   experts fear that the age verification measures in particular may end up    
   doing more harm than good.    
      
   You now need to scan your face, a credit card, or an identity document if you   
   want to access certain content on X, Reddit, or Bluesky in the UK, and the   
   same applies if you want to play a new over-18 video game, find a new match    
   on a dating app, or watch a video reserved for adults only. Those platforms   
   have to partner with third-party age verification services to implement   
   checks.    
      
   Leaks, abuse, and misuse of data are just some of the risks linked to the    
   mass data collection that age verification checks involve. Some commentators   
   also fear that age-blocking certain content that's deemed harmful could lead   
   to limitations on free speech and access to information.    
      
   "While the intent to protect kids is understandable, the execution raises   
   serious concerns around privacy, censorship, and, functionally, whether it   
   even works," Yegor Sak, co-founder and CEO of Canada-based Windscribe VPN ,   
   told TechRadar.   
      
   Such concerns have led thousands of people to turn to a virtual private   
   network (VPN) as a way to safeguard their sensitive information. Proton VPN ,   
   for example, recorded an hourly increase of over 1,400% starting at midnight   
   on July 25.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/no-plans-to-repeal-the-onli   
   ne-safety-act-uk-government-responds-to-age-verification-backlash   
      
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