Wikimedia Foundation challenges the UK Online Safety Act Regulations
Update – 10 July 2026: The Wikimedia Foundation was notified by Ofcom that Wikipedia is not currently considered a Category 1 service under the Online Safety Act. However, Ofcom has placed Wikipedia on a “watch list” of platforms that do not currently meet the Category 1 criteria but could be reassessed and designated as Category 1 in the future.
Wikimedia UK welcomes Ofcom’s recognition that Wikipedia should not currently be treated in the same way as the largest commercial online platforms. Wikipedia is a public-interest, not-for-profit knowledge project, created and maintained by a global community of volunteers and governed by principles of openness, privacy and freedom of expression.
However, the possibility of future Category 1 designation remains a serious concern. The additional legal duties associated with this status could pose a significant threat to Wikipedia’s volunteer-led model, the privacy and safety of its contributors, and the public’s ability to access and share free and reliable knowledge.
Without clearer and more sustainable limits on how services are categorised, Wikipedia remains vulnerable to a future reassessment. Wikimedia UK will continue to work alongside the Wikimedia Foundation and partners across the open knowledge sector to advocate for an Online Safety Act framework that recognises and protects public-interest, community-led platforms.
Update – 12 September 2025: The The Wikimedia Foundation will not appeal the UK High Court’s decision to dismiss its challenge to the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) Categorisation Regulations.
Update – 11 August 2025: The UK High Court dismissed the Wikimedia Foundation’s legal challenge of the Online Safety Act’s categorisation thresholds, which could see Wikipedia designated as a category 1 service.
Whilst this could be interpreted as a step backwards for free expression, privacy rights, and open access to knowledge, it’s clear that the judge recognised the value of Wikipedia and the need to protect public interest websites from the most damaging requirements of the law.
Our entire community in the UK remains firm in our commitment to keep Wikipedia open, accessible, and free. We will continue to advocate for a regulatory framework that recognises public interest knowledge platforms as distinct and vital contributors to democracy and free expression.
You can read the Wikimedia Foundation’s full statement here.
Potential legal challenge of the UK Online Safety Act Categorisation Regulations by the Wikimedia Foundation
8 May 2025 – 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.