All articles tagged with #online safety act
Australia’s Federal Court fined X Corp A$650,000 for not fully complying with an eSafety notice about reporting how it tackles online child exploitation material, a penalty close to the maximum to deter large platforms; X also agreed to pay A$100,000 in legal fees and has 45 days to settle, with the case tied to regulatory scrutiny during Twitter’s merger into X Corp.
The Mashable piece argues that Season 3 of HBO's Euphoria sensationalizes sex work without consulting real sex workers, while actual performers face censorship and legislation such as the UK's Online Safety Act and the Nordic model; experts warn that media misrepresentation can fuel harmful policy, calling for genuine representation, consultation, and decriminalization to protect workers and their livelihoods.
Keir Starmer pressed Meta, TikTok, Google, Snap and X at Downing Street to curb child harm, signaling possible Australia-style under-16 bans and other age-based restrictions as the government consults on features and controls under the Online Safety Act, with Ofcom oversight and growing cross-party pressure for action.
Britain proposes amending the Crime and Policing Bill to force tech platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours, treating them with the same seriousness as CSAM and terrorist content. Noncompliant firms could face fines up to 10% of global sales or UK service blocks. Victims would flag an image once and platforms must prevent re-uploads; ISPs could be guided to block sites hosting illegal content. The move aims to protect women, girls and LGBT people and adds to stricter online safety measures following clashes with platforms and past AI misuse cases.
Pornhub will restrict UK access for users who haven’t completed age verification under the Online Safety Act, arguing the law pushes users to non-compliant sites and raises safety concerns; critics see it as a potential tactic to press lawmakers or boost registrations, while VPNs continue to complicate enforcement and overall UK traffic trends remain uncertain.
Ian Russell explains how his daughter Molly's death exposed online-harm risks and spurred a long campaign for safer platforms, arguing against blanket bans on under-16s and urging proportionate, platform-specific safeguards under the Online Safety Act, with ongoing scrutiny of tech giants and regulatory enforcement.
Britain’s Ofcom has opened a formal probe into X under the Online Safety Act over risks from illegal content and inadequate safeguards for users and children. If breaches are found, the regulator could seek court-ordered “business disruption measures” — effectively a de facto ban — though such action is described as a last resort. The government has signaled support for a ban, but Ofcom stresses it must follow due process, and penalties can include up to £18m or 10% of worldwide revenue. The investigation timeline is uncertain and could range from months to a potential expedited process depending on findings and remedial steps.
Britain's Ofcom has opened an investigation into Elon Musk's X to assess whether it complies with the Online Safety Act amid reports that Grok, its AI chatbot, is creating non-consensual and sexualized deepfakes of women and children.
The UK’s enforcement of the Online Safety Act’s age verification rules is paradoxically reducing traffic on compliant adult sites while increasing it on non-compliant ones, highlighting unintended consequences of the law.
Valve has implemented an age verification system for UK Steam users to access mature content, requiring users to verify their age via credit card login in compliance with the UK Online Safety Act, which aims to enhance online safety and protect minors.
The enforcement of new UK online age verification rules has led to a significant drop in traffic to major adult websites like Pornhub and XVideos, with a 47% decrease in visitors, while some smaller sites see increased visits, and VPN downloads surge as users seek to bypass restrictions.
Xbox is implementing new age verification procedures for UK users following the Online Safety Act, encouraging identity verification to access age-appropriate content, with non-verifying users facing social play restrictions early next year. Multiple verification methods are available, but some users have found ways to bypass the system, raising concerns about its robustness.
Microsoft is implementing age verification for Xbox users in the UK to comply with the Online Safety Act, partnering with Yoti for identity checks, which will become mandatory for full social feature access by early 2026; the process may expand to other regions in the future.
VPN apps have surged to the top of the UK App Store charts following new age verification requirements for adult content sites, with many users potentially using VPNs to bypass these restrictions. Experts warn about privacy and security risks associated with free VPNs, especially among children, and highlight the increased usage of VPNs like Proton VPN as a response to the new regulations.
Young users are bypassing Britain's new online age verification system by using game features like Norman Reedus's face in Death Stranding's photo mode, highlighting the effectiveness and limitations of the UK's Online Safety Act. The article discusses how these measures are easily circumvented, raising concerns about privacy and the effectiveness of age restrictions online.