Elon Musk ein X platform dey talk say de UK ein Online Safety Act (OSA) dey carry risk of “seriously infringing” on free speech, as wahala dey grow over measures wey dey protect children from harmful content. Dis dey happen as new restrictions on under-18s accessing pornography den viewing content wey dey harmful to children enter force on 25 July.
De social media company talk say de act ein “laudable” intentions dey get overshadowed by ein aggressive implementation by de communications watchdog, Ofcom. For statement wey dem post for de platform, X talk say: “Plenty people dey worry now say plan wey dem intend say e go keep children safe dey carry risk of seriously infringing on de public ein right to free expression.”
De UK government fire back, say e be “demonstrably false” to claim say de act dey compromise free speech, den dem point to ein provisions on protecting freedom of expression. X add for ein statement say de freedom of speech risk no go be surprise to de UK government because by passing de OSA, lawmakers make “conscientious decision” to increase censorship for de name of “online safety”.
“E dey fair to ask if UK citizens dey equally aware of de trade-off wey dem dey make,” na so X talk. Musk, X ein owner, talk days after de rules enter force say de act ein purpose be “suppression of de people.”
De act, wey be bugbear of de political right for both sides of de Atlantic, don come under renewed scrutiny after new restrictions on under-18s accessing pornography den viewing content wey dey harmful to children enter force on 25 July. De legislation dey try make UK “de safest place” for de world to dey online by placing duty of care on online platforms to protect demma users from harmful content. E dey mandate say any site wey you fit access for UK—including social media, search engines, music sites, den adult content providers—go enforce age checks to prevent children from seeing harmful content.
Dis dey defined for three categories, den failure to comply fit result for fines wey go reach up to 10% of global revenue or courts blocking services:
- Primary priority content wey dey harmful to children: Pornographic content. Content wey dey encourage, promote or provide instructions for: eating disorder or behaviours wey dey associated with eating disorder.
- Priority content wey dey harmful to children: Content wey dey abusive on de basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability or gender reassignment; Content wey dey incite hatred against people on de basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability or gender reassignment; Content wey dey encourage, promote or provide instructions for serious violence against person; Bullying content; Content wey dey depict serious violence against or graphicly dey depict serious injury to person or animal (whether real or fictional); Content wey dey encourage, promote or provide instructions for stunts den challenges wey dey highly likely to result for serious injury; den Content wey dey encourage de self-administration of harmful substances.
- Non-designated content wey dey harmful to children