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Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act challenge; judge cautions against impact

By Patricia Figueiredo ( August 11, 2025, 11:15 GMT | Insight) -- Wikipedia has lost its legal challenge to the UK Online Safety Act’s categorization rules, as a High Court judge today found that the government had acted lawfully in adopting thresholds that could place the online encyclopedia under the act's strictest duties. Judge Jeremy Johnson dismissed all four arguments brought by the Wikimedia Foundation, but stressed the ruling “does not give Ofcom and the Secretary of State a green light to implement a regime that would significantly impede Wikipedia’s operations.” He warned that any such move would need to be justified as proportionate. Wikipedia has lost its legal challenge to the UK Online Safety Act’s categorization thresholds, with a London court ruling today that the government had acted lawfully in adopting rules that may capture the encyclopedia under the regime’s strictest duties....

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