Open Rights Group<p>Reddit, Grindr and Bluesky have chosen age verification providers based outside the UK with concerning privacy policies. Go figure.</p><p>❌ You can't choose provider<br>❌ Platforms don't need to pick certified providers<br>❌ Providers don't need to meet specific privacy or security standards</p><p>✅ Regulate the age verification industry now.</p><p><a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/OnlineSafetyAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OnlineSafetyAct</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/onlinesafety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>onlinesafety</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/OSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OSA</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/privacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>privacy</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/ageverification" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ageverification</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/ageassurance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ageassurance</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/ukpolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ukpolitics</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/ukpol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ukpol</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/freedomofexpression" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>freedomofexpression</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://social.openrightsgroup.org/tags/netplurality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>netplurality</span></a></p>
#netplurality
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The UK government must change the categorisation of sites under the Online Safety Act to protect net plurality.
Small and well moderated sites should be exempt from these duties to stop them from closing or blocking UK users.
Tell 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.
Wikipedia @wikimediauk are going to court over the UK Online Safety Act!
Saddling platforms with hefty duties and penalties under the new regime will cause many safe sites to fold.
We can't lose the best of the web due to laws that were meant to tackle the worst of it.
BBC NewsWikipedia legally challenges 'flawed' online safety rulesIt argues the regulations could threaten the privacy and safety of Wikipedia's volunteer contributors.
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Competition makes for a safer Internet.
We urge UK Ministers to exempt small community sites that are at little risk of hosting harmful content and not force them to collapse under the weight of disproportionate duties.
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.
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We need to break down the monopoly walled gardens.
Online safety can come from people freely choosing platforms that respect their privacy and align with their values.
Taking active steps to force small sites to shut down or block UK users plays into the hands of monopoly control of the Internet.
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Net plurality gives us choice and voice on the Internet, so communities of interest can grow with user-driven moderation.
Online Safety duties will put community groups off small web projects and entrench the power of Big Tech who have the resources to deal with so much regulation.
With over 1600 pages of guidance on Online Safety duties, Ofcom (UK) has dealt a sucker punch to small blogs, forums and fedi instances.
Onerous duties with the threat of fines has led to many sites shutting down already.
Only the largest companies that engineer harms can realistically comply.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/24/ofcom-rules-protect-keep-children-safe-online
The Guardian · Ofcom announces new rules for tech firms to keep children safe online
“The Online Safety Act [UK] places onerous duties on small websites and blogs that may lead them to close or geoblock UK users rather than risk penalties. The closure of small sites will not keep children safe but will benefit bigger sites, including Facebook and X, who are laying waste to content moderation on their platforms."
The UK government can exempt small, safe websites to protect #netplurality.
ORG's @JamesBaker
The Telegraph · Hamster forum and local residents’ websites shut down by new internet laws
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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
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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.
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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