Wikipedia Escapes Category 1 Designation Under UK Online Safety Act For Now
Wikipedia escapes Category 1 designation under the UK Online Safety Act for now
We are relieved to report that Ofcom has decided Wikipedia is not currently a Category 1 service under the UK Online Safety Act. However, we remain on a watch list, meaning this status could change at any time. The threat of mandatory identity verification remains an existential risk to our community's privacy and open knowledge values. We will continue fighting for a permanent exemption to protect our editors worldwide.
Any future Category 1 designation remains an existential threat to Wikipedia, open knowledge, and the privacy and safety of the community of contributors.
- Cider9986
The Ministry of Truth approves of Wikipedia, for now.
I suppose it's part of UK culture to be authoritarian which is how Orwell predicted it, but it's uncanny.
- generalizations
They just know they can't afford the power right now to do it. They would if they thought they could get away with it.
- waiwai933
The High Court judgment referred to is available at https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Wikimedi...
I'm not sure if Ofcom's subsequent notification to WMF is publicly available anywhere.
- alephnerd
Wikipedia is still on the Ofcom watchlist and might be designated Category 1 at some point.
- big85
If you don't fight government overreach now, it becomes permanent.