How UK’s online safety act enables censorship and mass surveillance
While there are many things on the Online safety act that i agree should be enforced, the sloppy execution of this act should stand as an issue for every British citizen.
As of July 25th 2025 online platforms have a legal duty to protect children online, by blocking content such as pornography, eating disorder content and content promoting self harm. Along with hateful content and dangerous stunts and behaviours. They are enforcing this by forcing every UK citizen to show proof they are over 18 in order to access this content, by showing a form of ID or banking information. And this is where I have my issue.
No one is opposing the idea of protecting children online, this is obviously a crucial thing. But hiding behind the idea of “for the children” to enforce censorship and mass surveillance is simply cowardly and deceitful. It is disastrous for children especially.
This act has not only caused the blocking of harmful content, but also of sites which contain crucial information for things such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, gender dysphoria, alcoholism, world politics and so much more. With young people now left isolated from these topics, the act is putting them in more danger. It leaves children more vulnerable to these threats as they no longer have access to information that might help them recognise dangerous behaviours that they or others are exhibiting. This act will literally KILL people.
Labelling people opposing this act as predators is ironic since, just a few months ago, PM Keir Starmer and other MP’s voted down the amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing Bill with 364 to 111. This bill was supposed to investigate child sex abuse and grooming gangs in the UK. They instead suggested it should be done at a local level. But they didn’t actually implement any of their suggestions while in office. Strange.. that they are now so obsessed with protecting the children? Since protecting the children is merely a cover.
Not only is this act wildly dangerous. It affects EVERYONE’S anonymity online. Everyone is now required to submit their precious personal information to third parties who will determine whether or not you are an adult. It is a clear breach of privacy. And it especially affects the elderly. They are the most sensitive to hackers and data theft. Having naive elderly people giving their personal banking info seems like an incredibly dangerous thing to do. With data breaches happening frequently already. Having a whole country submitting personal data could have immeasurable consequences.
As a teenager myself, it frustrates me that I am powerless. I can not just leave the country (it would be futile anyways since many other countries are eager to follow the UK’s footsteps). I am trapped under government control and unable to access such crucial information. I refuse to submit to this blatant authoritarianism and we can not allow this to go on.
Unfortunately, petitions signed by hundreds of thousands have already been dismissed by the government. But I can choose to remain outspoken.