UK Online Safety Regulations and impact on Forums

Also Reform UK have come out saying they'd scrap the OSA, and the media frenzy that happens whenever Reform say anything means lots of people end up talking about it.
According to Proton, the Swiss-based company behind one of the UK’s most-downloaded VPN apps, it experienced a “more than 1,800 per cent increase in daily sign-ups from UK-based users” following the rollout of the new age verification rules. Meanwhile, Nord reported a 1,000 per cent increase in UK VPN subscription purchases.
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www.servelegal.co.uk

1,800% Surge in VPN Use as Internet Users Appear to Reject Online Safety Act

Surge in VPN use follows UK's Online Safety Act, challenging age verification rules. Serve Legal offers audits to ensure compliance and protect young users. Discover more about the shifting landscape.
www.servelegal.co.uk www.servelegal.co.uk
The fact that VPN uptake has skyrocketed in the UK since the sites started asking for age verification indicates just how poorly thought through the legistlation was. I hope they don't think they can use it to try to ban consumer VPN use in the UK.
 
I found this where they tell providers not to encourage VPN use...

Our final guidance document also states that service providers should not host or permit content on your service that directs or encourages child users to circumvent the age assurance process or the access controls, for example by providing information about, or links to, a virtual private network (VPN) which may be used by children to circumvent the relevant processes.
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I suppose Ofcom's argument could be that if the site is legally responsible for verifying age, then they need to ensure their age verification is achieving the objective, and put the onus on the site to block vpn's maybe? But as you say - how would they police that?!
 
One of the more disturbing aspects of this for me is hearing people like Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology trotting out unsubstantiated facts.

Mr Kyle told Times Radio there were “far more people who are actually there to prove their age in a legitimate way”. "So you will find a small number of people who will use VPNs, most of them will be adults themselves," he said. "But you will see now moving forward, a new online experience for children and parents.
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I imagine one of the new online experiences for children and parents will be dealing with the potential fallout from the long term usage of free VPNs.
 
I was flabbergasted to see a gigantic billboard ad for Mullvad VPN driving into London the M4 a few months back.

Clearly these VPN companies have been on a huge rise for a while now and usage will continue to grow exponentially with the recent changes.

I'm sure they're paying all this money to advertise to kids to buy their product :rolleyes:
 
So effectively, those social media companies and youtube, will need to use age verification to ensure someone is not under 16. And under 16's can still view youtube videos - they're just not allowed to have an account. Youtube threatening to sue the Australian Gov saying it isn't social media. Onus is on social media companies and youtube to ensure no under 16 has an account by December or face up to 50 million fine (Australian dollars). They seem to have left adult forums out of their ban.

www.bbc.co.uk

YouTube to be part of Australia's youth social media ban

The Australian government says the world-first ban is aimed at protecting youth from online harm.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
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RobinHood said:
I was flabbergasted to see a gigantic billboard ad for Mullvad VPN driving into London the M4 a few months back.

Clearly these VPN companies have been on a huge rise for a while now and usage will continue to grow exponentially with the recent changes.

I'm sure they're paying all this money to advertise to kids to buy their product :rolleyes:
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This is what I just got on X from a link contained within a news report on an air traffic control issue.

x.webp
 
MarcusMoon said:
Why should they hide it?
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They, the VPN service providers can fill their boots. It's the social media platforms that are taking a risk. As @lazy llama previously linked from the regulations.

Our final guidance document also states that service providers should not host or permit content on your service that directs or encourages child users to circumvent the age assurance process or the access controls, for example by providing information about, or links to, a virtual private network (VPN) which may be used by children to circumvent the relevant processes.
Click to expand...
 
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