Big Brother Watch, a privacy and civil liberties NGO, is concerned that the new online safety laws could come at the cost to Brits’ privacy, security & civil liberties.
The Guardian spoke with Madeleine Stone, the campaign group’s senior advocacy officer about data privacy and free speech risks. On age verification, Ms Stone said: “This broad spectrum of third party companies will be holding some of the most personal data about you, and then that will be linked to your internet browsing. And that can be very dangerous.” She also raised concerns about the state of free speech and open access to information online. “We’re seeing political speech being taken down, as with content related to Gaza. We’re seeing support groups, sites for people with alcohol problems or people who’ve been sexually assaulted being blocked as well,” she said.