THE UK Government has insisted there are “no plans” to repeal the Online Safety Act as a petition calling for it to be scrapped nears 400,000 signatures.
The controversial legislation came into effect on July 25 and requires websites to verify users’ age – by facial recognition or photo ID – before allowing them to see adult content. Failing to comply with the new rules could incur fines of up to £18 million or 10% of a firm’s global turnover, whichever is greater.
While aimed at preventing children from accessing pornography as well as other harmful content including self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and extreme violence, the law has had a much wider impact.
A petition on the [[UK Government]] website raising concerns about the Act – which was introduced by the Tories but Labour have staunchly defended – argued it is “far broader and restrictive than is necessary in a free society”. It had gathered more than 389,000 signatures by Tuesday afternoon.
The petition argued that online hobby forums were “shutting down” as they did not have the resource to comply with the act, adding: “We think that Parliament should repeal the act and work towards producing proportionate legislation rather than risking clamping down on civil society talking about trains, football, video games or even hamsters.”
The Government must respond to all petitions that gather more than 10,000 signatures, and consider any that gather more than 100,000 for debate.
While the date for a debate has not been set, the Labour administration has now published its response, insisting that the Online Safety Act will not be repealed.
“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,” the statement said.
It said the aim of the act “is not to penalise small, low-risk services trying to comply in good faith”.
“Ofcom – and the Government – recognise that many small services are dynamic small businesses supporting innovation and offer significant value to their communities,” it went on.
“Ofcom will take a sensible approach to enforcement with smaller services that present low risk to UK users, only taking action where it is proportionate and appropriate, and will focus on cases where the risk and impact of harm is highest.”
The response comes with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK pledging to repeal the Act should they win power at Westminster.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle then stoked a row by claiming that Farage would be on the side of notorious paedophile Jimmy Savile.
“So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. [[Nigel Farage]] is on their side,” Kyle told Sky News.
“Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he’d be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he’s on their side.”
Farage labelled Kyle’s remarks “below the belt” and “so absolutely disgusting that it’s almost beyond belief”. He urged people to sign the petition calling for the legislation to be repealed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the act on Monday, saying the UK would protect free speech “forever” and insisting the act was about “child protection” rather than censorship.
