Washington [US], August 12: NBC News reported on August 10 that more and more American politicians are criticizing a new law in the UK that requires websites and applications, including some in the US, to conduct age checks on users.
The UK's Online Safety Act, which came into effect on July 25, aims to prevent children from accessing harmful content online. As a result, UK internet companies are requiring users to verify their age in a variety of ways, from providing a photo ID, through a credit card provider, or by taking a selfie for age-checking software to analyze.
Even the British are surprised by the level of scrutiny the law requires. UK users are required to prove their age not only for adult content, but also before they can listen to songs with inappropriate language or discuss sensitive topics. Reddit, for example, is restricting access to sites like r/stopsmoking (about stopping smoking), r/STD (which focuses on questions about sexual health), and r/aljazeera (which features graphic images of conflict, violence, and violence).
US politicians who oppose the law say they do not want US tech companies to comply with the rules, even though they also serve users in the UK. During a recent visit to London , a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers met with their British counterparts and raised concerns about the law governing online access. Even US Vice President JD Vance, currently visiting the UK, warned the host country's foreign minister, David Lammy, about the country's censorship.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
