Good morning. Any readers who have tried to visit a pornography site in the past week (don\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t tell anyone) will have come into contact with the Online Safety Act. One of the most controversial elements is that there are now firm checks to ensure those who access these sites from the UK are over 18.<\/p>\n
But it goes much further than regulating porn. This legislation is an overhaul of how we live online in the UK, and a growing list of sites \u2013 including gaming platforms and social networks \u2013 will verify people\u2019s ages before letting them through the digital gates.<\/p>\n
For years people have been raising alarms about the damage the online world does to our kids. The act beefs up hate speech laws and gives regulators greater powers to hold tech platforms accountable for failing to act on abusive or threatening content. It seems like an obvious win. Peter Kyle, the science and technology secretary, said anyone who wants to overturn the act is on the side of predators. \u201cIt\u2019s as simple as that\u201d, he wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n But is it? On Saturday human rights organisations warned about censorship of Gaza-related content<\/a>. Smearing all critics is shortsighted, and legitimate criticisms from human rights groups should be taken seriously, says Madeleine Stone, senior advocacy officer at Big Brother Watch, which campaigns for civil liberties and privacy. I spoke to her about concerns around data collection and free speech. That\u2019s after the headlines.<\/p>\n Five big stories<\/p>\n Israel-Gaza war | At least 27 people were killed by Israeli forces<\/a> while trying to get food and six others died from starvation or malnutrition in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials said.<\/p>\n UK news | Millions of drivers could be handed a share of up to \u00a318bn<\/a> in compensation, after the \u200bF\u200binancial Conduct Authority said it would open a redress scheme for consumers affected by the car finance scandal.<\/p>\n Gaza | The \u200bgovernment \u200bhas announced it will evacuate seriously ill and injured children<\/a> from Gaza to the UK for NHS treatment under a scheme to be announced within weeks.<\/p>\n Immigration | Ministers will spend an extra \u00a3100m on measures<\/a> to deter Channel crossings, including on the planned \u201cone in, one out\u201d returns agreement<\/a> with France, the Home Office has said.<\/p>\n Plastics | Plastics are a \u201cgrave, growing and under-recognised danger\u201d to human and planetary health, a new expert review has warned<\/a>. The world is in a \u201cplastics crisis\u201d, it concluded, which is causing disease and death from infancy to old age and is responsible for at least $1.5tn (\u00a31.1tn) a year in health-related damages.<\/p>\n In depth: \u2018It only takes one dodgy age verification website to leak someone\u2019s data\u2019There are legitimate privacy concerns around the new act. As of 25 July, websites and apps are required to protect children by filtering out harmful content and verifying ages. Failing to regulate content could lead to hefty fines, criminal charges or even being entirely blocked in the UK. In case you missed it, Aamna did a great explainer<\/a> about this last week.<\/p>\n Kyle said it was \u201cthe biggest step forward<\/a> for a young person\u2019s experience online since the internet was created\u201d and that a whole generation of children had been exposed to \u201ctorrid toxic material\u201d because of the failure of politicians. He took aim at politicians like Reform leader, Nigel Farage, who oppose the law: \u201cMake no mistake if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today he would be perpetrating his crimes online – and Nigel Farage is saying he is on their side.\u201d Inevitably, there was a backlash<\/a> to Kyle\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want it to be framed like we\u2019re in opposition to the children\u2019s rights group, or that we don\u2019t think that there are risks to children online. Of course, there are,\u201d says Stone. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone would deny that there are good intentions behind this bill.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Stone believes that there are ways to keep children safe online that don\u2019t require uploading scans of our faces or IDs to potentially porous tech companies, thus triggering legitimate privacy concerns. She said it was disappointing the main calls from Labour and the opposition have been for it to be as comprehensive as possible \u2013 and that there wasn\u2019t much discussion about civil liberties. Meanwhile, Reform UK has promised to repeal<\/a> the act if it gets into office, describing it as \u201cborderline dystopian\u201d, as it becomes a rallying point for the right<\/a> in both Britain and the US.<\/p>\n What are the data concerns with the act?<\/p>\n Much of the focus has been on porn sites but social media, forums, gaming platforms and other sites that could show content considered harmful for children are also now required to verify that users are aged 18 or older. Using methods such as photo-ID matching, AI facial age estimation, credit and debit card checks, mobile operator verification, open banking and digital ID wallets, this is a massive undertaking.<\/p>\n Already 5m extra online age checks<\/a> a day (yes, every day) are being carried out in the UK since the introduction of age-gating for pornography sites alone, according to new data from the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA).<\/p>\n This legislation, which applies to more than 100,000 companies, includes major platforms like Facebook, Google, X, Reddit, OnlyFans (and other less established sites that you might not wish to trust with your personal data). The public is having to choose between \u201cnot being able to freely access the internet, or handing over huge troves of personal data to a series of third party companies, which is open to hacking, to data breaches and data theft,\u201d says Stone.<\/p>\n What are the risks of companies having this data?<\/p>\n Big Brother Watch is concerned that taking this additional data from people creates databases of sensitive information that would be devastating for individuals if it was hacked, leaked or stolen. Stone says: \u201cThis broad spectrum of third party companies will be holding some of the most personal data about you, and then that will be linked to your internet browsing. And that can be very dangerous.\u201d She highlights particular concerns for LGBTQ+ people \u2013 with commonly used dating sites like Grindr and Scruff requiring checks \u2013 people who are victims of domestic violence or stalking, whistleblowers, and journalists.<\/p>\n There is an ecosystem of companies involved in getting access to people\u2019s data \u2013 companies that are being forced to undertake the checks, and then the companies that are providing the technology to do those checks. \u201cIt only takes one dodgy age verification website to leak someone\u2019s data,\u201d says Stone.<\/p>\n Some have suggested that the government could regulate age, instead of outsourcing this regulation to third-party companies. \u201cI think the flip side of that is, do you want the government to have a record of who\u2019s using porn sites \u2026 As we know the government is not great with data leaks and breaches. I think there\u2019s not really a good option here if you\u2019re thinking about collecting that deeply personal data.\u201d<\/p>\n What are key concerns about free speech?<\/p>\n Human rights organisations have warned that the Online Safety Act together with the proscription of Palestine Action<\/a> could result in platforms censoring Palestinian-related content.<\/p>\n Open Rights Group, Index on Censorship and others wrote to Ofcom<\/a> calling on it to provide clear guidance to platforms on distinguishing lawful expression from content deemed to be in support of terrorism. Their concern is that crucial public debate is threatened by vague laws that could lead to content about Palestine being removed or hidden online.<\/p>\n Stone argues that the act has been drafted in an \u201coverly broad way\u201d which means that legitimate political, cultural and societal discussions could be restricted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing political speech being taken down, as with content related to Gaza. We\u2019re seeing support groups, sites for people with alcohol problems or people who\u2019ve been sexually assaulted being blocked as well,\u201d she says. Blocking children from accessing support groups like this is a major unintended consequence, and the very opposite of the Jimmy Savile comparisons that Peter Kyle leveled at opponents of the act<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so important that we\u2019re able to have those discussions,\u201d Stone says. \u201cYou know, the internet has become our new kind of town square,\u201d describing attempts to control these discussions as a \u201cdark place for a democracy to be in\u201d. She adds: \u201cThat content might not always be super pleasant, but it is still legally protected free speech. There is real importance in being able to have those discussions and change people\u2019s minds.\u201d<\/p>\n What alternatives are there?<\/p>\n Stone describes the Online Safety Act as a \u201cfailure of imagination\u201d, saying that it fails to \u201cproperly get to grips with the problems at the heart of social media companies\u201d. She says a big part of the problem is children spending hours online looking at content that is not healthy for them. By taking data, social media platforms can create more highly personalised predictions about what we\u2019re interested in. \u201cYou\u2019re sucked into dangerous loopholes. And that is a big part of the problem here – spending hours and hours and hours online,\u201d says Stone.<\/p>\n Earlier this year a study found<\/a> almost half of young people would rather live in a world where the internet does not exist. The research found nearly 70% of 16- to 21-year-olds feel worse about themselves after spending time on social media. A quarter of respondents spent four or more hours a day on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Big Brother Watch, we\u2019ve called for a ban on micro targeted advertising and the proper enforcement of data protection law that would really cut off at the knees some of these really intrusive business models,\u201d says Stone. \u201cIf we\u2019re not paying for something, then we are the product.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what\u2019s happening and why it matters<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n What else we\u2019ve been readingThe \u2018lead crime hypothesis\u2019 links male violence with exposure to air pollution. Photograph: Alamy<\/p>\n This Today In Focus<\/a> episode features Pulitzer-winning Caroline Fraser, who discusses her investigation into whether lead-polluted air triggered a surge in male serial killers in the US. Anandita Abraham, newsletters team<\/p>\n Fascinating Sunday read by Robyn Vinter on the men who received prison sentences<\/a> for their role in last summer\u2019s riots after the Southport murders. Many talk about mistrust in authority and the media, but each has their own story to tell. Phoebe<\/p>\n Simon Jenkins thinks that Trump\u2019s soft spot for beauty and classical architecture is worth appreciating<\/a>. The argument that \u2018aesthetic sensitivity\u2019 in politicians should be welcomed was an enjoyable take. Anandita<\/p>\n A heartwarming read about a mountaineering project<\/a> in Switzerland that brings refugees together to climb 4,000-metre peaks. It started with just a handful of people and now 200 are involved. Phoebe<\/p>\n \u200bDr Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian doctor and protagonist of the latest Guardian documentary film The Oath<\/a>\u200b, writes in this powerful opinion piece<\/a>, \u201cthe situation in Gaza, and the position we are in as doctors, has only worsened \u2013 day by day, hour by hour\u201d. Katy Vans, newsletters team<\/p>\n SportJacob Bethell is dismissed on a gripping fourth day of the fifth Test at the Oval. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Cricket | \u200bThe fifth test heads into the fifth day, after rain brought the proceedings to a halt on day four, with England still needing 35 runs<\/a> to claim the series.<\/p>\n Formula One | Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix<\/a> after \u200ba strategic battle to beat his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri into second\u200b.<\/p>\n Golf | The final round of the Women\u2019s Open at Royal Porthcawl has delivered one of the most extraordinary moments in modern major history<\/a> after the English golfer Mimi Rhodes produced a hole-in-one.<\/p>\n The front pagesGuardian front page 4 August Photograph: Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cMillions in line for payouts over car finance mis-selling scandal,\u201d is the splash on the Guardian today, while the Times has similar with: \u201cMillions of drivers in line for \u00a3950 payout over car finance scandal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAsbestos kills more troops than Taliban,\u201d writes the Mail, while the Telegraph leads with, \u201cPalestine Action plot to swamp police.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018An extra \u00a3100m will NOT stop the boats\u2019\u201d is the focus over at the Express. At the FT, the splash is \u201cUS data row builds as poorest workers take hardest hit from wages slowdown.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCharge VAT on private health schemes to fund NHS, Kinnock tells Reeves,\u201d says the i, while the Mirror runs with: \u201cYou are all heroes,\u201d in reference to the end of a blood donor crisis.<\/p>\n Today in FocusElon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, 22 March, 2022. Photograph: Reuters<\/p>\n The Tesla whistleblower and the cost of taking on Elon Musk<\/p>\n Investigative journalist S\u00f6nke Iwersen describes his years-long investigation into Tesla<\/a>, aided by a whistleblower, exposing serious safety concerns over the company\u2019s cars.<\/p>\n Cartoon of the day | Edith Pritchett<\/p>\n Venn diagram showing the intersection between Labour\u2019s first year and a huge parcel for something tiny meeting at being led to believe there would be something more substantial. Illustration: Edith Pritchett\/The GuardianThe Upside<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/p>\n The definition of \u2018working class\u2019 for entry to the two-month summer programme will be based on the roles applicants\u2019 parents held when they were 14. Photograph: Yui Mok\/PA<\/p>\n A new UK civil service internship is open only to working-class students<\/a>, which is about time for the enormous bureaucratic industry, in which only one in ten successful applicants come from the lowest income backgrounds. Hopefully the program will go some way to fix this disparity, with 200 undergraduates being offered the opportunity to work in a civil service department. Applications open this October.<\/p>\n
Photograph: Guerilla\/Alamy<\/p>\n