Once again, it feels like the internet is under threat due to poorly devised government policy. The issues I’m seeing so far with the Online Safety Act going into effect this year include the drop in small online communities, with many moderators and admins looking to pull their communities offline—leaving more and more people stuck with the online status quo (think big social media: Facebook, X, etc.). I feel that this is a real shame, as these small communities will have to look elsewhere to find like-minded people online.
The biggest issue I can see is that this is not just a UK-specific issue. The internet is global, meaning that communities hosted and operating outside of the UK will face the challenge of a significant chunk of their user base being in the UK. The truth is, not many people can afford to pay such massive fines, meaning that once again, the massive platforms (again, big tech) will remain, as they can afford it.
I hope that some new guidance comes into place, as I would hate to see these communities go offline under the threat of this act!