The Wikimedia Foundation claims that UK internet rules compromise their contributor’s rights to privacy and safety and could force it to reduce its UK userbase.
Illustration of Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia website application, in Paris on Jan. 24, 2025. Riccardo Milani/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
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The operator of Wikipedia on Aug. 11 lost a high court challenge to the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) rules that could require it to verify the identities of its contributors.
The Wikimedia Foundation said that if the platform were subject to the OSA’s Category 1 duties, it would have to drastically reduce the number of British users who can access the site.
Owen Evans is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in civil liberties and free speech.