Rebecca MacKinnon, a leading member of the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has called for an exemption for online encyclopedias from the UK’s Online Safety Bill. He called on lawmakers to make sure the bill distinguishes between centralized content moderation on platforms like Facebook and community voluntary moderation found in places like Wikipedia.
Earlier today, Nivin reported that the government had caved in to the rebels’ demands and could include more stringent measures – prison terms – in the bill. Previously, penalties were simply fines that affected a company’s global revenue. Digital regulator Ofcom will be in charge of enforcing the new rules in the Online Safety Bill.
In response to concerns raised by the Wikimedia Foundation, the government said the bill was designed to find a balance between addressing online harm without placing an undue burden on low-risk tech firms. It said Ofcom would be proportionate when enforcing the rules and focus its efforts where the risk of harm is greatest.
While it would be a good idea to amend the bill to take into account the concerns raised by the Wikimedia Foundation, which the government likely agrees with, it seems likely that Wikipedia will be in trouble as a result of the new rules. very thin.
Source: BBC News
