Online security law under scrutiny by Musk's digital service faces criticism from the British government - Elon Musk's online service critiques United Kingdom's online safety legislation
Elon Musk's online service, X, has voiced concerns about the UK's new Online Safety Law, arguing that it constitutes regulatory overreach and risks suppressing free speech. The platform argues that the law, intended to protect children from harmful content, seriously infringes on free expression, masking this violation under the guise of child safety.
Key points of X's criticism include:
- The law's broad scope extends regulatory control excessively into online content moderation, which X describes as "overreach."
- The enforcement approach is viewed as heavy-handed, risking suppression of speech that should remain protected.
- Musk's company characterizes the UK's legislation as censorship, potentially chilling free expression across the platform.
- While aiming to shield children from explicit or harmful content, X argues the law’s implementation may inadvertently “seriously” violate free speech rights by demanding removal or restriction of content beyond necessary limits.
In response to these concerns, X has introduced various age verification methods last week, demonstrating their efforts to comply with the new UK online safety law. These methods include estimating a user's age based on the date their account was created, as well as requiring users to provide a photo or upload an ID document for verification.
Platforms that do not comply with the new requirements risk fines of up to 18 million pounds (20.7 million euros) or 10 percent of their global turnover - whichever is higher. The UK's media regulator Ofcom is legally required to implement an age verification system in online services since July 25.
Serious breaches of the UK's age verification law could result in a platform being blocked in the UK. X has warned that the law's "scope of regulatory reach" could overshadow its "commendable intent," potentially leading to unintended consequences.
In summary, Musk’s X opposes the UK Online Safety Act due to fears it will expand regulatory reach excessively, imposing stringent content controls that undermine free speech protections online. The platform's criticism centres around concerns about its regulatory reach and potential unintended consequences.
- Despite the UK's Online Safety Act being intended to protect children from harmful content, Elon Musk's platform, X, believes it could inadvertently violate free speech rights through overly restrictive content controls.
- X, Musk's online service, has criticized the UK's Online Safety Act, arguing that its broad regulatory reach risks censorship and chilling free expression across the platform, while aiming to shield children from explicit or harmful content.
