The UK Online Safety Act is an unworkable mess 💩

Can it be changed? And if so, is there the political will to do it?

Instead of doubling down on more censorship, Ofcom and the government must take steps to protect freedom of expression.

ORG's Sara Chitseko and @JamesBaker discuss.

Watch now ➡️ https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/qi2DNB98c1C2Ny7Kg1Zg4v

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #osa #ukpol #ukpolitics #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #censorship #ofcom #privacy

How do you solve a problem like the UK Online Safety Act? 😵‍💫

ORG is calling for a rights-based approach.

One that limits the scope of the OSA to minimise threats to free expression and regulates the age verification industry to protect privacy.

Here’s how ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/how-to-fix-the-online-safety-act-a-rights-first-approach/

#OnlineSafetyAct#OnlineSafety #osa #freespeech #privacy #freeexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #censorship #ageverification

The UK Online Safety Act is an unworkable mess 💩

Can it be changed? And if so, is there the political will to do it?

Instead of doubling down on more censorship, Ofcom and the government must take steps to protect freedom of expression.

ORG's Sara Chitseko and @JamesBaker discuss.

Watch now ➡️ https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/qi2DNB98c1C2Ny7Kg1Zg4v

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #osa #ukpol #ukpolitics #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #censorship #ofcom #privacy

Content takedowns under the UK Online Safety Act could go further ⚠️

Damaging free expression has knock-on effects. It limits what we get to know about in the public interest and how we can hold power to account.

ORG's Sara Chitseko and @JamesBaker discuss the impact on live-streaming.

Watch now ➡️ https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/a34kKNvs3iyAUTSQSofwX7

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #ukpolitics #ukpol #freedomofexpression #freespeech #freeexpression #censorship #ofcom

The UK regulator Ofcom is consulting on the use of proactive tech to scan, check and remove content before people even see it.

Combined with the weak protection for free expression in the Online Safety Act, the UK public risk facing widespread censorship online.

Tell your MP it has to change ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #freespeech #freedomofexpression #freeexpression #censorship

Content takedowns under the UK Online Safety Act could go further ⚠️

Damaging free expression has knock-on effects. It limits what we get to know about in the public interest and how we can hold power to account.

ORG's Sara Chitseko and @JamesBaker discuss the impact on live-streaming.

Watch now ➡️ https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/a34kKNvs3iyAUTSQSofwX7

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #ukpolitics #ukpol #freedomofexpression #freespeech #freeexpression #censorship #ofcom

The UK Online Safety Act ransoms your privacy for free speech 🛑

By age gating vaguely defined ‘harmful’ content, UK users face censorship.

It coerces people into coughing up their ID to unregulated age verification providers or scammers.

Write to your MP ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #privacy #ageverification #agegate #censorship

The UK Online Safety Act ransoms your privacy for free speech 🛑

By age gating vaguely defined ‘harmful’ content, UK users face censorship.

It coerces people into coughing up their ID to unregulated age verification providers or scammers.

Write to your MP ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #privacy #ageverification #agegate #censorship

UK users are cut adrift from current events by the Online Safety Act.

Platforms must moderate content that’s ‘harmful’.

A term that bursts the banks of porn to submerge news, advice and debate… it’s online censorship.

Tell your MP to FIX it ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #ukpolitics #ukpol #freeexpression #privacy #freespeech #censorship #freedomofexpression #digitalrights

UK users are cut adrift from current events by the Online Safety Act.

Platforms must moderate content that’s ‘harmful’.

A term that bursts the banks of porn to submerge news, advice and debate… it’s online censorship.

Tell your MP to FIX it ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #ukpolitics #ukpol #freeexpression #privacy #freespeech #censorship #freedomofexpression #digitalrights

Algorithms will hyperactively dredge feeds of what's 'illegal' and 'harmful'.

Both terms are wishy washy in the UK Online Safety Act.

So platforms will over-moderate rather than get hit with penalties for a finger in the air judgement. Censorship is baked into the equation, and that's why the OSA threatens free expression.

Tell your MP to FIX IT ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol #freeexpression #privacy #agegate #ageverification

Algorithms will hyperactively dredge feeds of what's 'illegal' and 'harmful'.

Both terms are wishy washy in the UK Online Safety Act.

So platforms will over-moderate rather than get hit with penalties for a finger in the air judgement. Censorship is baked into the equation, and that's why the OSA threatens free expression.

Tell your MP to FIX IT ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-online-safety-act-isn%E2%80%99t-working

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety#OSA #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol #freeexpression #privacy #agegate #ageverification

Censorship of content relating to Palestine is a result of the UK government banning Palestine Action and duties placed on platforms by the UK Online Safety Act to moderate 'illegal' content.

Signatories to our open letter call on Ofcom to proactively defend the right to free expression.

Hear more from ORG's Prorgamme Manager, Sara Chitseko ⬇️

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #censorship #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #palestine #gaza #palestineaction #ukpolitics #ukpol

The UK Online Safety Act requires platforms to assess and moderate 'illegal' content.

This mixed with the UK’s vague definition of terrorism could lead to content being wrongly flagged and removed.

This includes supportive posts about Palestine or protests and debate about the Palestine Action ban.

Read our open letter ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/open-letter-implementation-of-palestine-action-proscription-on-social-media/

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #censorship #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #palestine #gaza #palestineaction #ukpolitics #ukpol

Censorship of content relating to Palestine is a result of the UK government banning Palestine Action and duties placed on platforms by the UK Online Safety Act to moderate 'illegal' content.

Signatories to our open letter call on Ofcom to proactively defend the right to free expression.

Hear more from ORG's Prorgamme Manager, Sara Chitseko ⬇️

#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #censorship #freespeech #freeexpression #freedomofexpression #palestine #gaza #palestineaction #ukpolitics #ukpol

Palestine Action ban + UK Online Safety Act = widespread censorship of content about Palestine 🚫

Lawful posts could be swept up by overly broad definitions of terrorism and wrongly removed by platforms. It's a serious attack on freedom of expression and the right to protest in the UK.

Read our open letter from human rights groups and experts ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/human-rights-defenders-raise-concerns-that-online-safety-act-will-lead-to-censorship-of-palestine-protest/

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech

“The heavy-handed takedown of digital content, fuelled by overly-broad terrorism definitions, will inevitably suppress critical voices, journalism and social movements around the world.

It is very likely that in trying to comply with these requirements, platforms would unjustly remove content from people in the EU and other regions."

🗣️ @ella for @edri.

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech

“Crucial public debate about Gaza is being threatened by vague, overly broad laws that could lead to content about Palestine being removed or hidden online. How these laws are applied should concern everyone regardless of their political views.”

Ofcom must uphold free expression, so people can engage online without fear of being micharacterised as terrorists.

🗣️ Sara Chitseko for ORG.

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #freespeech

What's 'illegal' is open to interpretation.

UK terror laws criminalise people for taking part in a proscribed group AND for expressing 'support' which is 'reckless' in getting others to support it.

This risks encouraging automated moderation that disproportionately affects political speech, particularly from marginalised communities, including Palestinian voices.

#onlinesafetyact #freeexpression #palestine #gaza #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol #ofcom #pastineaction #freespeech