AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, March 9, 2020. The British government on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, has called on Musk to act responsibly after one of the world’s richest men used his social media platform to unleash a barrage of posts that risked inflaming the violent unrest gripping the country. (Photo: AP/Susan Walsh, File)02 Aug 2025 12:17AM (Updated: 02 Aug 2025 12:25AM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST PARIS: Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Friday (Aug 1) accused Britain of regulatory “overreach” following the implementation of the country’s Online Safety Act, a law designed to protect children from harmful content such as pornography.“The Online Safety Act’s laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach,” X said on its Global Government Affairs account. “A plan ostensibly intended to keep children safe is at risk of seriously infringing on the public’s right to free expression.”CONCERNS OVER FREE SPEECH, DUPLICATIONX also criticised a new police unit set up to monitor social media and a recently introduced code of conduct for online platforms, calling the measures “parallel and duplicative.” The company suggested these initiatives could further erode free speech.Despite its criticism, X said it has begun complying with the law by rolling out age-verification systems in Britain, Ireland and the wider European Union. These include estimating a user’s age based on account details, using AI to assess selfies, or requiring the upload of official ID documents.FINES FOR NON-COMPLIANCEUnder the Online Safety Act, which came into force on Jul 25, UK media regulator Ofcom requires such age checks to be “technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair.” Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to £18 million (US$24 million) or 10 per cent of global revenue, whichever is higher. Repeat offenders risk being blocked in the UK.In this April 14, 2020 file photo, the thumbs up Like logo is shown on a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif, USA. (Photo: AP/Jeff Chiu, File)WIDER DEBATE OVER PRIVACYThe UK’s move follows similar efforts in France and several US states, where governments have pushed for stricter age verification for pornography sites. Supporters say the rules are necessary to protect minors, but critics warn that such policies could undermine user privacy and heighten the risk of identity theft if sensitive data were compromised.As users seek workarounds, demand for virtual private networks (VPNs) has surged. According to British media, VPN app Proton reported an 1,800 per cent rise in downloads since last week, with multiple VPN apps topping Apple’s UK app store.Source: AFP/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST