Wikipedia escapes Category 1 designation under the UK Online Safety Act for now

alephnerd

Wikipedia is still on the Ofcom watchlist and might be designated Category 1 at some point.

neilalexander

In other words, "stay where you are for now, we promise to extend the legislation to cover you in the future".

generalizations

They just know they can't afford the power right now to do it. They would if they thought they could get away with it.

lenerdenator

Governments would rather censor the whole internet before putting people who have credible allegations of sex crimes against children under investigation and in handcuffs when appropriate.

waiwai933

The High Court judgment referred to is available at https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Wikimedi... I'm not sure if Ofcom's subsequent notification to WMF is publicly available anywhere.

big85

If you don't fight government overreach now, it becomes permanent.

arjie

I wonder what the difference in legal traditions is between the US and the Old World. The latter have a lot of "Yes, you're technically in trouble under the guidelines the enforcement authority rules using but they're going to make an exception for you, for now" and the former have a lot of "Yes, the spirit was to block this kind of thing but the letter of the law is that you do get away with it". What informed this kind of difference? Is there one? The US approach seems very much like the way Orthodox Jews follow the halakha by making workarounds around it.

bcjdjsndon

Thinkudur chiddrun

theginger

> based on a novel reading of the law So they found a loop hole. Why do they need to find a loop hole in their own law, why not just make better laws to start with.

cineticdaffodil

You know why all who grew up under the soviet regime in the eastern block are totally alergic to englands direction nowadaways.

Cider9986

Identity verification should be illegal by default and companies that want to do it should have to prove it's absolutely necessary for their business.

Cider9986

The Ministry of Truth approves of Wikipedia, for now. I suppose it's part of UK culture to be authoritarian which is how Orwell predicted it, but it's uncanny.

josefritzishere

Sounds like turnkey fascism.

Havoc

Oh so the muppets have finally started thinking about the practicalities of what they’re yolo legislating

asdaqopqkq

I don't get the anglo mind. They set up the same 1984 esque institutions in the subcontinent. Just why. Does it tickle their mind to control informantion or something ? Is is the boarding schools?