Potential legal challenge of the UK Online Safety Act Categorisation Regulations by the Wikimedia Foundation
Wikimedia UK is not a party to this claim as we are not the legal hosts of Wikipedia.
Wikimedia UK is an independent charity based in the UK. As the national chapter for the global Wikimedia movement, we are committed to open knowledge and free access to information. Wikimedia Foundation is a key funder of our work. We also receive project-based funding from other organisations such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Big Lottery Fund and Swire Charitable Trust in the UK, as well as donations from individuals.
As an independent educational charity, Wikimedia UK has been an active advocate for public interest projects like Wikipedia to be exempt from the UK Online Safety Act. We have participated in a wide number of consultations, debates, discussions with ministers, parliamentarians, civil servants, academics, educationalists, child rights organisations, the regulator and those working to promote free expression to express our concerns about the Online Safety Act and its implications for access to information in the UK. We have clearly articulated our view that Wikipedia should not be subject to the most onerous requirements of the UK’s regulatory framework for online safety, which has been designed principally for profit-making, algorithmically driven social media platforms.
We share Wikimedia Foundation’s concerns about the recently announced categorisation thresholds for the Online Safety Act, and their implications for Wikipedia.
You can read the Wikimedia Foundation’s blog post on their legal challenge here. Media enquiries can be directed to press@wikimedia.org at the Wikimedia Foundation.