UK toughens Online Safety Act with ban on self-harm content
- Reference: 1757399349
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/09/selfharm_online_safety_act/
- Source link:
The UK Online Safety Act is about censorship, not safety [1]READ MORE
The move will make self-harm content a "priority offence" under the Act – a classification for illegal content that requires platform providers to take proactive measures to prevent its publication.
In her first outing as [2]newly appointed science and technology minister , Liz Kendall said the government is determined to keep people safe online.
"Vile content that promotes self-harm continues to be pushed on social media and can mean potentially heart-wrenching consequences for families across the country," she said.
"Our enhanced protections will make clear to social media companies that taking immediate steps to keep users safe from toxic material that could be the difference between life and death is not an option, but the law."
[3]
While social media firms are already obliged to protect children by removing images of self-harm, the new amendment goes further. By changing the status of the content, the government aims to make platforms seek out and eliminate such content before it can reach users.
[4]
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The move was backed by the Samaritans, a charity that supports people in emotional distress at risk of suicide. Chief executive Julie Bentley said:
"While the internet can be a source of support for people who are struggling, damaging suicide and self-harm content can cost people their lives. It's therefore vital that government continues to take opportunities to strengthen the Act and it's over to Ofcom now to use their powers to hold platforms to account so we can save more lives lost to suicide."
[6]UK Online Safety Act 'not up to scratch' on misinformation, warn MPs
[7]UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act
[8]Banning VPNs to protect kids? Good luck with that
[9]Millions of age checks performed as UK Online Safey Act gets rolling
[10]Prohibition never works, but that didn't stop the UK's Online Safety Act
However, the Online Safety Act has proved controversial in the UK and elsewhere. It received Royal Assent in October 2023 [11]amid concerns over privacy . Private messaging platform Signal said at the time that it threatened to undermine the privacy promises and the encryption on which it relies.
Illegal content and children's safety aspects of the Act came into force in March and July this year.
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Experts have voiced concerns that the Act may grant the government the power to [13]censor online content .
Meanwhile, there are fears that it is being applied too widely. For example, [14]blogs that allow user comments are subject to the same laws as social media giants. The law's duties and responsibilities are causing concern among those running online communities for niche interests, such as cycling forum London Fixed Gear and Single Speed, for example.
The new regulations will come into effect three weeks after they are approved in both Houses of Parliament. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/21/the_uk_online_safety_act/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/08/uk_cabinet_reshuffle_tech/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aL_6uXe0vgfYniR_C-F3oQAAAAg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aL_6uXe0vgfYniR_C-F3oQAAAAg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aL_6uXe0vgfYniR_C-F3oQAAAAg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/online_safety_act_misinfo/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/banning_vpns_to_protect_kids/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/04/millions_of_age_checks_performed/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/08/opinion_column_osa/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/27/online_safety_act_charles/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aL_6uXe0vgfYniR_C-F3oQAAAAg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/21/the_uk_online_safety_act/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/06/uk_online_safety_act_bloggers/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Sticking Plaster
"Dissent from state narratives" - are you sure about that? I've never seen a government announce support for Palestine yet crack down so hard on demonstrators who are demonstrating in support of the same cause. It seems they just get a kick out of pointless authoritarianism more than anything else.
Re: Sticking Plaster
The reason the govt is behaving this way is they know full well that what they say to the public is all performative and has no substance to it whatsoever.
But a fairly important correction to your statement would be that the 'demonstrators' are not supporting the wider cause, they were specifically supporting a group that has been prescribed under UK law due to a long history of repeated attacks on both public and private infrastructure (they attacked one company something like 20 times) causing millions of £ worth of criminal damage and intimidation of the people who work for these companies.
If these 900 or so people that were arrested were actually protesting what was going on in Gaza then they would not have been arrested. Instead they are trying to martyr themselves.
Re: Sticking Plaster
Should be "proscribed under UK law". You can't get Palestine Action for the £9.90.
Re: Sticking Plaster
Is Palestine Acton proscribed? Or Ealing? ;-)
At least cycling fora might get their Lycra collars felt.
Re: Sticking Plaster
s/pre/pro/
Self harm...
Will that include politicians making complete asses of themselves ?
Government Lobbying the Government
It should be noted that The Samaritans receive £5,900,000 in grants from the Government.
Why try to justify despicable laws yourself when you can get a charity to do it for you and make their support look legitimate?
Re: Government Lobbying the Government
The Samaritans is long past being a charity. its a for-profit money making scheme with nasty religious overtones. Had a work colleague ask them for help, and they demanded to know what christian denomination he was and refused to help because he specified "no religion"
Re: Government Lobbying the Government
It seems [1]it depends on the person . Some may have their own reasons for volunteering but I expect the pool of volunteers is pretty small to begin with.
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/rthb2b/what_does_everyone_think_of_the_samaritans_help/
The U.K. is gaining speed on the slippery slope, ...
... just like nearly everybody with a brain predicted.
At least the U.K. can serve as bad example to highlight the dangers of government censorship to other nations...
Re: The U.K. is gaining speed on the slippery slope, ...
Oh we are just following what other parts of Europe have been doing for years. What is going on in the UK is 'good' as it keeps people 'safe' and protects our ruling elites from scrutiny.
You could actually invest and improve the mental health provisions in the UK to provide support for people who are struggling.
But no, you obviously think that removing photos of self harm is enough to stop people doing it. Like it's fucking smoking or something.
A broom and a large rug is cheaper.
We spent the rest of the mental health budget on suitcases of wine.
The new way.
Why not ban the internet entirely?
Everyone knows that it is evil and filled with horror and depravity, so let's keep everyone safe.
It's not as if the internet has any uses or can be a force for good, informing, educating and entertaining.
No!
Something must be done and the easiest and most expedient thing to do is cut off the country from this poisonous monster.
I suggest that the government send a representative to North Korea to see how the professionals do it.
Yes, I am being sarcastic, if anyone is in doubt.
Re: The new way.
I suggest that the government send a representative to North Korea to see how the professionals do it.
I suggest send the government to North Korea to see how the professionals do it?
I shouldn't think a return ticket would be necessary.
Effective laws would kill the business model.
Any effective law to block hate speech, libel, plagiarism and just plain lies would destroy social media’s business model. If they were legally responsible for the nonsense the proliferate they could not afford the manpower to vet all of the posts .. they would go bust.
So expect ruthless pushback on any attempt to make the internet safe.
This is not censorship this is about stopping harmful illegal content that is ruining young lives.
Re: Effective laws would kill the business model.
By the same logic, if I buy a kitchen knife from Amazon, you think Amazon should face punishment if I go on to commit knife crime?
Or if I buy chemicals from ASDA and use them to poison people, ASDA should be guilty as well?
Re: Effective laws would kill the business model.
They're not selling the knife, they're pushing you to use one. Or maybe it's possible to have clean safe responsible fun while cutting your wrists?
Self Harm. So thats anything with alcohol, tobacco, drugs (even government websites to get help), HMRC website as it shows duty for alcohol etc.
NHS websites to get help with an addiction.
Sports. gardening (You might throw your back out)
Store websites such as amazon, sainsburys etc that sell trampolines since if you get hurt on one, thats considered self-harm for the purposes of medical insurance.
Oh yeah and the Labour party election website because voting for these idiots is harming yourself.
Taking bets JUST before the next election the government has "an accident" and blocks the websites of all potential political rivals. Even on a county by county basis for places they want to tip the vote.
Every time I get horny and try to access a pornographic website I am forced to follow the government's advice, and "think of the children".
Now I am on a list...
(yes, a bad joke, but someone had to make it)
OSA is complete BS, and is just another example of overreach without thought to satisfy a few loud mouths "think of the children" and deprive people of freedom of choice.
Perfect example, have had a Steam account since 2004 and yet have now been told, that my account has had the right to some content disabled until I do the online check.
When I explained to Steam that my account has been going 20 years and hence I must be over 18 years old and do not need to prove this, please enable, they refuse saying they had to follow OSA rules.
I'm 50+ years FFS, Starmer, his retarded government if liars and his net nannies can GFT I don't need to prove anything to play a game !
Funny how I can still use Google to search for porn pictures but see no prosecutions, Starmer still sleeping with U.S megacorps.
This is just the start, online or physical digital ID's cards containing lots of juicy info to be hacked, unlawfully accessed, as security services do now and protect themselves with RIPA and once we get comfortable with that invasion of privacy, a law that makes it compulsory to hand over to security services on demand, no right to refuse as we have now, anonymity now gone.
The UK is truly becoming worse than North Korea with comrade Starmer !
Saw a neat thing on a website (may have been made up, but the idea seems to work):
Message:
"Sorry, this website is not legally viewable by people in the UK, due to the OSA. Your IP address suggests that you might be in the UK, but are you?"
Buttons:
"I am not in the UK" (green)
"I am in the UK" (red)
Clicking the green button lets you into the website. Clicking the red button takes you somewhere else...
"requires platform providers to take proactive measures to prevent its publication."
I take it HMG has a working proof of concept to show that this can be done and how.
Ironically a lot of the support groups that she mentioned have been cut off (to vulnerable people) by their online age verification scam.
Sticking Plaster
Tell the public you're putting some sticky plasters on a problem and they'll be safe, meanwhile censoring or attacking dissent from state narratives & protest.
STOP keeping me safe and just keep me informed! You allow all sorts of crime to go unpunished when it is providing votes.