Will Increased Caution Be Advised?

[ProJiJi]

Many who work within the framework of Internet Communities are openly writing of their concerns about how they might have to change their operating methods because of next year, March 17th, when the UK intends to rigorously enforce the Online Safety Act.

I'd like to ask this community's members if this enforcement of the OSA will significantly affect sites that deal primarily with video content?

It might be that some will feel that if your server is not in the UK you need not worry, but that has been discussed by many, as in the ISOC, and there is not a solid single opinion on that point.

In addition, if there are any of you that run an Internet Community and you've not yet delved into how this matter could affect your work, let me offer a BBC artcle that could be a good jumping off point for studying this matter.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy83jdpgw5o

< < < Snippet > > >

Online platforms must begin assessing whether their services expose users to illegal material by 16 March 2025 or face financial punishments as the Online Safety Act (OSA) begins taking effect.

Ofcom, the regulator enforcing the UK's internet safety law, published its final codes of practice for how firms should deal with illegal online content on Monday.

Platforms have three months to carry out risk assessments identifying potential harms on their services or they could be fined up to 10% of their global turnover.

Ofcom head Dame Melanie Dawes told BBC News this was the "last chance" for industry to make changes.

[thecoalman]

It might be that some will feel that if your server is not in the UK you need not worry, but that has been discussed by many, as in the ISOC, and there is not a solid single opinion on that point.

I legally operate entirely within US borders according to US law, I'm not within the jurisdiction of a foreign government, that's not an opinion. If someone in the UK reads something on my site the thought police in the UK have decided is illegal it's not my problem, it's their problem.

The reason the UK and the EU can strong arm these larger US companies is because they have either a physical or financial interest in those countries, usually both. They don't go after Google, they go after Google UK Limited.

[ProJiJi]

A few years or so ago I was not paying close enough attention to some legal advice I was receiving (paying for, too) and I sort of ignored some matters that related to the new, then new, EU GDPR. As I recall, about a year after that EU stuff kicked in a site I had on a server in Chicago ran into a problem related to that EU stuff because an admin gal messed up some instructions and I had a heck of a time sorting that all out. After that I paid better attention to the legal folks I pay, even the new group, and so last year I started paying attention to this UK stuff and I have this file of all sorts of notes, and let me introduce one from the Cato Institute from April of last year:

https://www.cato.org/blog/three-reasons-americans-should-be-concerned-about-united-kin...-safety-bill-0

And let me add a snippet of that:

When it comes to issues like free expression online, it is easy for Americans to get the myopic view that we don’t need to worry about the impact of other countries’ regulations because we are protected by the First Amendment. The United Kingdom has been debating the “Online Safety Bill” that could have serious consequences for many internet companies. This sizable piece of legislation would create many new requirements for platforms that carry user generated content including search engines, messaging apps, and social media. Among these requirements include strict age-verification requirements and limiting certain types of “legal but harmful” content that raise significant concerns for the implications the bill would have on users’ privacy and speech. While the regulations will mostly be felt by U.K. internet users, the global nature of the internet means that the regulations will likely impact users more generally. With that in mind, here are three key reasons Americans should be concerned about what might happen if the United Kingdom passes the Online Safety Bill.

[thecoalman]

As I recall, about a year after that EU stuff kicked in a site I had on a server in Chicago ran into a problem related to that EU stuff because an admin gal messed up some instructions and I had a heck of a time sorting that all out.

Do you not live in the US?
Is the host international and requiring you to comply?
Do you have business relationship with EU based company that is requiring you to comply?

These are some of reasons you may need to comply with the GDPR.

The only foreseeable reason I can ever see being required to comply with EU/UK law is if I can't find a host that will tell them to pound sand. In that case my response would be:

$headers = getallheaders();
if ($headers['CF-IPCountry'] == 'UK')
{
echo 'You are using a UK based IP and the UK government has decided you are not adult enough to view it. To avoid any legal troubles for yourself do not access this site with a VPN.'
}
exit; 

[El Heggunte]

$headers = getallheaders();
if ($headers['CF-IPCountry'] == 'UK')
{
echo 'You are using a UK-based IP address and the UK government has decided you are not adult enough to view it. To avoid any legal troubles for yourself do not access this site with a VPN.'
}
exit;

I.P. stands for "Internet Protocol", not "Internet Protocol address".
Fixed that for you.

[thecoalman]

Fixed that for you.

You should of fixed the missing semi-colon.

[lordsmurf]

People in the UK would shit a brick if my state insisted that people in UK follow our laws, even though they're in their own country.

Nope, that's not how laws work, regardless of stupid claims made.

GDPR can piss off.
OSA can piss off.
Not my land, not my laws, not my problem.

We have enough problems here, we don't need to import yours.

And it is IP address. IP does indeed = internet protocol, but there is an address as well. It's not "IPA" (where "IPA address" would be wrong), though dumb threads like this make me want an IPA!