Wikipedia loses UK Court bid over Online Safety Act rules

The Wikimedia foundation, operator of Wikipedia, has lost a legal challenge to parts of the UK's controversial Online Safety Act, which critics say risks curtailing free speech, Reuters reported.

The ruling was delivered on Monday by London's High Court.

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The foundation had sought to overturn regulations that could impose the most stringent "Category 1" duties on Wikipedia.

These duties include verifying the identities of all users and contributors, a move the foundation argued would drastically reduce the number of British users able to access or edit the site.

Judge Jeremy Johnson dismissed Wikimedia's case but stated that the foundation could mount another challenge if regulator Ofcom (impermissibly concluded that Wikipedia is a Category 1 service."

According to the report, he stressed that the decision "does not give Ofcom and the Secretary of State a green light to implement a regime that would significantly impede Wikipedia's operations.

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In a statement, the Wikimedia Foundation said the ruling "does not provide the immediate legal protections for Wikipedia that we hoped for," but welcomed the court's comments underscoring the UK government's responsibility to ensure Wikipedia remains accessible.

The Online Safety Act, which became law in 2023 and is being phased in this year, has drawn criticism from free speech advocates, social media platforms, and content creators for allegedly leading to censorship of legal content.

Earlier this month, X called for significant reforms to the legislation, the report added. The UK government has defended the law as a necessary measure to protect children and remove illegal content.

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