UK Online Safety Act Explained | Privacy vs Child Protection Debate

Описание: The UK’s Online Safety Act is raising serious questions about privacy, encryption, and child protection.

Under the new framework, regulator Ofcom may gain powers to require platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage to detect illegal content — including child abuse material. One controversial proposal being discussed is “client-side scanning,” where content could be checked on a device before encryption.

Supporters say the goal is protecting children online.
Critics argue it could weaken end-to-end encryption and set a long-term precedent for digital privacy in the UK.

In this episode of BritPulse, we break down:

• What the UK Online Safety Act actually says
• What client-side scanning means
• Whether encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal could be affected
• The debate between online safety and private communication
• Why tech companies and privacy experts are pushing back
• What this could mean for the future of digital privacy

This is not about current live surveillance of phones. It’s about the legal and technical debate over how far governments should go in regulating online platforms.

Is this necessary child protection — or a turning point for encryption in Britain?


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