Wikipedia operator loses UK court challenge to online safety act rules
The Wikimedia Foundation, operator of Wikipedia, has lost a legal challenge to parts of Britain’s Online Safety Act, which critics say could restrict free speech.
The foundation argued that certain regulations under the law could impose the toughest “Category 1” duties on Wikipedia, including mandatory identity verification for users and contributors — a move it says would drastically limit access to the site, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
High Court Judge Jeremy Johnson dismissed the case but said Wikimedia could challenge again if regulator Ofcom wrongly categorises Wikipedia as a Category 1 service.
The Online Safety Act, aimed at protecting children and removing illegal content, has faced backlash from tech firms, free-speech groups and content creators for allegedly leading to excessive censorship. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has defended the law, saying opponents were “on the side of predators.”
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