New UK Internet Policing Law Targets US Online Forums

Britain’s Online Safety Act may block U.S.-based forums over noncompliance; however, sites such as Gab and Kiwi Farms are refusing to comply.

A message on the social media website Gab is displayed on a phone in New York on Oct. 29, 2018. Jenny Kane/AP Photo

Online forums based in the United States that rely on First Amendment protections are getting caught up in internet regulations in the UK, where they now risk being blocked under recent legislation.

Hailed by the UK government as the world’s first online safety law, the Online Safety Act (OSA) became law in October 2023, but the duties related to the regulation of so-called illegal content took effect on March 17.