To the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology,

We, the undersigned, are writing to express deep concern over the current form of the Online Safety Act.

While we recognise and respect the original intent of this legislation, to shield children from harmful and pornographic content, we must also confront the reality that what began as a well-meaning effort has evolved into something far broader, vaguer, and more dangerous to the rights and freedoms of the UK public.

The Act, as it stands, overreaches. Its language is worryingly undefined, leaving interpretation, and enforcement, open to overzealous application. It creates a framework in which platforms, publishers, and even ordinary users are left guessing what constitutes “harmful content,” leading to a culture of over-censorship and fear.

The UK does not need, and cannot afford, a law that risks:

• Restricting access to legitimate information, including historical, scientific, or educational material.

• Mandating invasive measures, such as biometric scans for adults simply seeking to access lawful content.

• Chilling free expression by incentivising platforms to take down anything remotely contentious to “play it safe.”

• Outsourcing deeply sensitive data, including age and identity verification, to overseas third-party companies, many of which may not adhere to GDPR standards or offer the same level of privacy protections the British public expects and deserves.

If the government will not repeal the Online Safety Act outright, we ask that you at least address this serious flaw: the reliance on external verification companies. Sensitive information like facial scans, IDs, and personal data should not be handed over to foreign companies with little accountability. If age verification is deemed essential, then a UK-built, GDPR-compliant, publicly accountable verification service must be created; one designed with transparency, oversight, and privacy at its core.

Yes, protecting children online is a moral imperative. But protection cannot come at the expense of the freedoms and privacy of every UK citizen.

We ask you, as our elected representatives, to listen to the growing chorus of voices across this country calling for a measured rethink. We urge you to repeal or rewrite the Online Safety Act, to strip away the vagueness and overreach, and to create targeted, proportionate protections that do not trample on civil liberties in the process.

The internet is not perfect. But neither is a future where the UK sets a global precedent for excessive digital surveillance and censorship.

Respectfully,

Thomas Pearson