Brits call for VPN ban for minors to curb Online Safety Act loopholes August 20, 2025 A majority of Britons believe children under 18 should be banned from using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) following a recent surge, a survey has found. Research from YouGov found that 55 per cent of the public supports a ban for minors, while only 20 per cent think they should be allowed to use them. This [...]
UK backs down on plans to force Apple to share encrypted user data August 19, 2025 The British government has backed down on plans to force Apple to share encrypted user data, according to President Trump’s intelligence chief. Tulsi Gabbard told the Financial Times that the government has agreed to abandon its demands for a “back door” for data. US vice-president JD Vance reportedly intervened to broker the exemption for the [...]
Rayner claims Reform will ‘fail women’ as she weighs in on online safety row August 16, 2025 Nigel Farage and Reform UK risk “failing a generation of young women” if they scrap online safety laws aimed at preventing revenge porn, Angela Rayner has said. The Deputy Prime Minister demanded Farage explain how his party would keep young women safe when they use the internet, after Reform vowed to repeal the Online Safety [...]
Peter Kyle defends UK free speech record after US report attacks Online Safety Act August 14, 2025 Tech secretary Peter Kyle has pushed back against a damning US government report accusing the UK of backsliding on human rights and curbing freedom of expression under Labour. The annual State Department dossier, published on Tuesday, warned that Britain’s human rights record had “worsened during the year” amid “serious restrictions on freedom of expression”, and [...]
Notting Hill Carnival: The Met is writing its own rules for live facial recognition August 13, 2025 With the Met primed to use live facial recognition tech at the upcoming Notting Hill Carnival, primary legislation is needed urgently.
The 24-second news cycle has killed off silly season August 12, 2025 In a media landscape fuelled by outrage, the news cycle has no more room for fun or nuance, writes Adam Taylor
Third of young Brits favour authoritarian leader over democracy August 12, 2025 A third of young adults said they would back an authoritarian system if leaders could take decisions more quickly, a new poll has said, in signs new voters believe the UK’s social contract is breaking down and belief in the principles of democracy are fading. In fresh research led by Adam Smith Insights, a sister [...]
Why the Online Safety Act has become a political nightmare August 11, 2025 The UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into force on 25th July, was conceived with the noble aim of protecting children from harmful online content. It mandates that web service providers implement “highly effective” age verification measures to prevent minors from accessing material that promotes suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, or abusive behaviour, as well as [...]
Comparing Nigel Farage to Jimmy Savile marks a new low in politics August 4, 2025 Invoking Jimmy Savile to attack Nigel Farage over online safety is not just offensive – it exposes a deeper intolerance in political debate. Peter Kyle’s remarks cross a dangerous line, says Eliot Wilson You would think that any mainstream politician would think twice before comparing an opponent to Jimmy Savile. The man police believe was [...]
Government defends Online Safety Act after X claims it threatens free speech August 2, 2025 The Government has defended the Online Safety Act after Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech. In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators. The Government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the [...]