The implementation of the Online Safety Act (OSA) has sparked outrage among users in the UK as they discovered that many of their favorite Reddit communities were placed behind age verification walls. To comply with the law, users must submit personal data, such as government ID photos, to a vendor for age verification services. This policy has blocked access to subreddits with content related to LGBTQ+ topics, public health, and even mundane interests, illustrating the potential negative impacts of the OSA on digital freedom and user privacy.
On July 25, users in the UK were shocked and rightfully revolted to discover that their favorite Reddit communities were now behind age verification walls.
For many, this was the first time they realized what the OSA would actually mean in practice-and the outrage was immediate.
Reddit's attempt to comply with the OSA has resulted in various forums dedicated to LGBTQ+ identity, health-related issues, and other topics being blocked off.
Every user in the country is now faced with a choice: submit their most sensitive data for privacy-invasive analysis, or stay off of Reddit.
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