Overview

• The High Court ruled on August 11 that the Wikimedia Foundation’s judicial review of the Online Safety Act’s categorisation regulations must be dismissed.
• Justice Jeremy Johnson emphasised the decision does not permit Ofcom or the government to enforce measures that would significantly impede Wikipedia’s operations.
• The judge confirmed Wikimedia can seek further legal review if Ofcom determines that Wikipedia qualifies as a Category 1 service under the act.
• Category 1 duties include stringent user-verification requirements, content-filtering tools and enhanced reporting obligations originally intended for large social media platforms.
• Ofcom’s pending decision on Wikipedia’s categorisation, expected by the end of summer, will dictate whether Wikimedia must comply with or contest the strictest rules.