UK online safety act, LFGSS disappearing.

[greencat]

This is how regulatory capture happens. Regulations are introduced which are disproportionate for small players, leaving big players who can meet the costs to scoff up all of the business.

 

[chickendrumsticks]

Anyone ask the guvnor?

 

[sjcprojects]

The act definitely looks like bad, lazy legislation, as others have said. I can see why the guy behind LFGSS is pulling the plug, but I think in reality the risk of action against sites like this are very slim - although at the very least, the act does seem to require some fairly laborious 'risk assessment' work. I think this from the Guardian is useful:

'Ofcom is supposed to focus on the rules the platforms themselves set, and monitor whether they are doing what they say they will. In theory, this means a platform that wants to be minimally censorious can be, provided it doesn’t give users a false sense of security by claiming otherwise.'

The main thing seems to be that a site owner has to assess the risk of illegal content appearing on their platform

According to Ofcom:

'One way to comply with your duties is to implement applicable safety measures set out in Ofcom’s illegal content Codes of Practice for user-to-user services...such as measures around content moderation, reporting and complaints, user settings and tools.'

I don't think the act requires, for example, every image uploaded to be somehow filtered (although the LFGSS guy seems to suggest so?). I would think all the current rules and moderation on this site would mean it complies with the rules.

I really hope so, otherwise this act really is an absolutely ridiculous overreach.

 

[bagpuss]

Yep this forum is well moderated. Thanks to those who do it .

 

[The History Man]

Stick to bikes and play nice then?

 

[Tootyred]

Well that's my social life over.....what do we do. Post out all our p.o. box number to each other and send postcards with comments on.

Jeeeees, what a mess of a world we now live in.

 

[Takingabreak]

It has made me try and think back to remember what we did do back in the pre internet days. For sure I had a social life, I'm just struggling to remember what it was

 

[legrandefromage]

Pubs

It was pubs

Pre internet was pubs

 

[Rotorhead]

https://ofcomlive.my.salesforce-sites.com/formentry/RegulationChecker

Retrobike's ability for members to communicate by PM and also the facility to search outside of the platform (eg ebay auction watch, rather than just searching existing posts within the platform) seem to be red flags to the checker tool linked above.

Had a quick look. My reading: Retrobike will be subject to the Act because of the ability to exchange comments and content, regardless of the ability to PM. The RB search capability also sounds fine as it is confined to one site. Nevertheless, RB needs to comply. The requirements to comply appear to be a risk assessment and processes to avoid dodgy stuff. RB already has some of that.

Doesn’t sound like a high price to pay for making the internet safer for children. However the operator of the site is presumably then accountable and that makes it a personal risk to take on, albeit a small one given the nature of the site.

 

[Takingabreak]

Pubs

It was pubs

Pre internet was pubs

That explains why I can't remember.