New legislation called the Online Safety Act (OSA) is coming into effect in the UK on 17 March 2025 and this site falls within its purview. The OSA introduces various regulations to enhance online safety, particularly for children. It mandates that sites with user-to-user messaging implement measures to mitigate and swiftly remove illegal content.
Specifically, the OSA defines illegal content in these categories:
That being said, the following changes will be necessary:
1. Disable private messaging for Newbie members
This is to reduce the risk of new joiners using this forum to conduct illegal activity via that feature. Private messaging ("Conversations") will become available when a Newbie reaches Full Member status.
The exception is that Moderators can still send private messages to Newbies for the purposes of moderating the site effectively. If you're a Newbie and need to communicate privately with a Mod you can request to do so in two ways:
2. Option to disable media embedding in threads
The mod team may decide to prevent embedding images and media in specific threads (most likely Current Event forum threads) if we feel it is contributing to discussions becoming inflammatory and skirting what is allowed by the OSA.
3. Updated terms and rules
Our terms and rules will be updated to reflect the new legislation. When those new terms are published you will prompted to review and accept them in order to continue using the site.
These changes will come into effect on or before 17 March.
What you need to do
As long as you're not posting content that falls into the categories listed above, this new legislation shouldn't have any impact on how you use this site.
If you see any content that you suspect falls into any of the illegal content categories, please use the Report function to bring it to the attention of the Mods so we can deal with it quickly.
I'm happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have in this thread, or feel free to reach out to me via private message.
It's a brave new regulated Internet world. Go forth and don't break the law!
Specifically, the OSA defines illegal content in these categories:
- Terrorism:
Content that promotes or facilitates terrorist activities or extremist ideologies, including propaganda that supports proscribed terrorist groups.
- Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA):
Content that exploits or harms minors. More specifically:- Grooming:
Activities aimed at building inappropriate, predatory relationships with minors.
- Image-based Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM):
Visual depictions that involve the sexual abuse of minors.
- CSAM URLs:
Links to websites hosting material that depicts the sexual abuse of minors.
- Grooming:
- Hate Speech:
Content that incites hatred or prejudice against individuals or groups based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
- Harassment, Stalking, Threats, and Abuse:
Persistent or severe abusive behaviour intended to intimidate, threaten, or harm others.
- Controlling or Coercive Behaviour:
Actions or communications aimed at dominating or controlling another individual, often through relentless monitoring or abuse.
- Intimate Image Abuse:
Non-consensual sharing or threats to share private or intimate images or videos of an individual.
- Extreme Pornography:
Material that depicts severe sexual violence or extreme acts of sexual aggression.
- Sexual Exploitation of Adults:
Content involving the exploitation or coercion of adults in sexual contexts, including coercion in sex work or trafficking contexts.
- Human Trafficking:
Activities that facilitate the trafficking of individuals for exploitation, including modern slavery.
- Unlawful Immigration:
Content that supports or facilitates unauthorised immigration, often linked to the activities of people smugglers.
- Fraud and Financial Services Offences:
Content that deceives or misleads people for financial gain, including scams and false investment schemes.
- Proceeds of Crime:
Activities involving funds or assets obtained through criminal means, including money laundering.
- Drugs and Psychoactive Substances:
Promotion or facilitation of the sale or use of illegal drugs.
- Firearms, Knives, and Other Weapons:
Content that facilitates the sale, marketing, or distribution of illegal weapons.
- Encouraging or Assisting Suicide (or Attempted Suicide):
Content that encourages or helps someone to take their own life, even if the intent is disguised as support.
- Foreign Interference Offence:
Content aimed at manipulating public opinion or political processes on behalf of a foreign power.
- Animal Cruelty:
Material that depicts or promotes harm or abuse toward animals.
That being said, the following changes will be necessary:
1. Disable private messaging for Newbie members
This is to reduce the risk of new joiners using this forum to conduct illegal activity via that feature. Private messaging ("Conversations") will become available when a Newbie reaches Full Member status.
The exception is that Moderators can still send private messages to Newbies for the purposes of moderating the site effectively. If you're a Newbie and need to communicate privately with a Mod you can request to do so in two ways:
- make a normal thread post tagging a Mod and asking them to private message you
- make a post on a Mod's profile asking them to private message you
2. Option to disable media embedding in threads
The mod team may decide to prevent embedding images and media in specific threads (most likely Current Event forum threads) if we feel it is contributing to discussions becoming inflammatory and skirting what is allowed by the OSA.
3. Updated terms and rules
Our terms and rules will be updated to reflect the new legislation. When those new terms are published you will prompted to review and accept them in order to continue using the site.
These changes will come into effect on or before 17 March.
What you need to do
As long as you're not posting content that falls into the categories listed above, this new legislation shouldn't have any impact on how you use this site.
If you see any content that you suspect falls into any of the illegal content categories, please use the Report function to bring it to the attention of the Mods so we can deal with it quickly.
I'm happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have in this thread, or feel free to reach out to me via private message.
It's a brave new regulated Internet world. Go forth and don't break the law!