No one begrudges keeping children safe. But the Online Safety Act, which came into force last month, has caused plenty of collateral damage to web users who had their 18th birthdays long ago.
Stringent requirements under the Act, designed to keep children safe online by blocking their access to pornography and violent material unless users undergo age verification checks, have been so broadly drawn that even sites like Wikipedia fear they’re required to check IDs at their digital doors. Some are even stopping servicing users in the UK — pushing people towards digital workarounds.
