‘I fully support campaign to stop Legacy Act being repealed': ex-NI Veterans Commissioner gives signature to petition
A protest was held in London earlier this week ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on the issue.
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The National
18 minutes ago
- The National
Labour respond as 400k back petition for repeal of Online Safety Act
The controversial legislation came into effect on July 25 and requires websites to verify users' age – by facial recognition or photo ID – before allowing them to see adult content. Failing to comply with the new rules could incur fines of up to £18 million or 10% of a firm's global turnover, whichever is greater. While aimed at preventing children from accessing pornography as well as other harmful content including self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and extreme violence, the law has had a much wider impact. READ MORE: VPN use surges in UK as Ofcom's new age verification rules kick in A petition on the [[UK Government]] website raising concerns about the Act – which was introduced by the Tories but Labour have staunchly defended – argued it is 'far broader and restrictive than is necessary in a free society'. It had gathered more than 389,000 signatures by Tuesday afternoon. The petition argued that online hobby forums were 'shutting down' as they did not have the resource to comply with the act, adding: 'We think that Parliament should repeal the act and work towards producing proportionate legislation rather than risking clamping down on civil society talking about trains, football, video games or even hamsters.' The Government must respond to all petitions that gather more than 10,000 signatures, and consider any that gather more than 100,000 for debate. While the date for a debate has not been set, the Labour administration has now published its response, insisting that the Online Safety Act will not be repealed. 'The Government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections,' the statement said. It said the aim of the act 'is not to penalise small, low-risk services trying to comply in good faith'. 'Ofcom – and the Government – recognise that many small services are dynamic small businesses supporting innovation and offer significant value to their communities,' it went on. 'Ofcom will take a sensible approach to enforcement with smaller services that present low risk to UK users, only taking action where it is proportionate and appropriate, and will focus on cases where the risk and impact of harm is highest.' The response comes with Nigel Farage's Reform UK pledging to repeal the Act should they win power at Westminster. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: James Manning) Former party chairman Zia Yusuf claimed the laws do 'absolutely nothing to protect children' but work to 'suppress freedom of speech' and 'force social media companies to censor anti-government speech'. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle then stoked a row by claiming that Farage would be on the side of notorious paedophile Jimmy Savile. 'So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. [[Nigel Farage]] is on their side,' Kyle told Sky News. 'Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side.' Farage labelled Kyle's remarks 'below the belt' and 'so absolutely disgusting that it's almost beyond belief'. He urged people to sign the petition calling for the legislation to be repealed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the act on Monday, saying the UK would protect free speech 'forever' and insisting the act was about 'child protection' rather than censorship.
The Herald Scotland
34 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Farage labels Kyle's comments ‘below the belt' and reiterates call for apology
Mr Farage labelled Technology Secretary Mr Kyle's remarks as 'below the belt' and 'so absolutely disgusting that it's almost beyond belief', and urged people to sign a petition calling for the legislation to be repealed. We talked to mums about the Online Safety Act 👇 — Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) July 25, 2025 Former Reform chair Zia Yusuf said on Monday that the party would repeal the legislation if they got into Government. 'I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he's going to overturn these laws,' Mr Kyle told Sky News. 'So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side. 'Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side.' Peter Kyle's comments on @SkyNews are disgusting. He should do the right thing and apologise. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 29, 2025 Responding to Mr Kyle on a live stream on Tuesday morning, Mr Farage said: 'Just how low can the Labour Government sink in its desperation? 'Yes, of course they're in trouble. They're well behind us in the opinion polls. But frankly, to say that I would do anything that would in any way aid and abet people like Jimmy Savile, it's so below the belt it's almost not true.' He also reiterated his demand for an apology and added: 'We're not going to get one. I think perhaps the best thing we can do is to sign the petition to repeal the Online Safety Act. That's what I'm going to do today. I think it makes sense. I'm deeply worried about the implications for free speech.' Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms such as social media sites and search engines must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide. Mr Yusuf has said that the laws work to 'suppress freedom of speech' and 'force social media companies to censor anti-Government speech'. After being asked by Mr Farage to apologise on social media, Mr Kyle doubled down on his comments, claiming that wanting to 'overturn' the Act puts somebody 'on the side of predators'. If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that. — Peter Kyle (@peterkyle) July 29, 2025 Mr Yusuf has claimed that Mr Kyle's remarks showed 'how deeply unserious' the Government was about child safety, adding: 'Talking about Jimmy Savile in that way does nothing other than denigrate the victims of Jimmy Savile.' He told Sky News that the comments are 'one of the most outrageous and disgusting things a politician has said in the political arena that I can remember. And that's quite a high bar, frankly.' Sir Keir Starmer jumped to defend the legislation from its critics when he met Donald Trump on Monday, telling reporters: 'We're not censoring anyone. 'We've got some measures which are there to protect children, in particular, from sites like suicide sites.' The Prime Minister added: 'I personally feel very strongly that we should protect our young teenagers, and that's what it usually is, from things like suicide sites. I don't see that as a free speech issue, I see that as child protection.'
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
China's financial offer to boost births
China has introduced a nationwide annual childcare subsidy of 3,600 yuan (£376) for each child under three years old. The scheme, effective from 1 January 2025, aims to combat the country's declining birth rate and is projected to benefit nearly 20 million families. This initiative follows China's population falling for the third consecutive year, with a decline of 1.39 million in 2024. The long-term decline in birth rates is linked to the former one-child policy, rapid urbanisation, and a cultural preference for male children. Critics argue that financial incentives alone may not be enough, pointing to high childcare costs, job uncertainty, and gender discrimination as key factors discouraging family growth.
