🚀 Add to Chrome – It’s Free - YouTube Summarizer
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The internet as we know it is changing. And if you're a YouTuber or someone who just enjoys watching content freely online, this video is going to shock you because the UK, which is my home country, has just activated the most aggressive internet regulation law in
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its history. It's called the Online Safety Act, and critics are rightly calling it an authoritarian censorship, like a full-blown crackdown on digital freedom and access to online information.
And as of the 25th of July 2025, which was just a couple of days
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ago, websites and platforms, including YouTube, are now legally required to filter, block, and in some cases even remove certain types of content altogether. And the scary part about this is it goes far beyond just illegal material.
So, in this video, I'm going
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to explain what the online safety act actually is, how it affects both viewers and creators on YouTube, including you, and of course, how you can get around it. So, let's get into it.
All right, so firstly, what actually is this law and what does it mean? Let me give you a bit
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of a background on it. So, the online safety act of the UK was actually passed back in 2023, but it wasn't until July 2025 that the most controversial part of it came into full force.
Now, the government's stated goal is to make the internet safer, especially for children,
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by forcing tech companies to remove illegal content faster and reduce exposure to harmful material. And of course, on paper, that obviously sounds like a good, noble thing to do, right?
But here's the problem. The act introduces very vague and sweeping powers that let Offcom, which is the
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UK's communications regular, demand that platforms do the following things. Number one, filter or restrict content that's legal but considered harmful.
Right? Number two, implement strict age verification even for content that's
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artistic material or educational. And number three, take proactive step to prevent users from even seeing this kind of content.
Like what? This wording is so vague and almost anything could fit into these categories.
And also like who
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gets to decide what's harmful? Like where does that line end?
Because we all know that they are only ever going to censor information they don't like. This isn't about safety.
It's just about control. So that's a little bit of background on what this new law is.
And I know a lot of you guys are probably
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from the USA or different parts of the world. And you might be thinking to yourself like this isn't going to affect me.
Well, wrong because it's going to affect viewers and creators on YouTube wherever you're from. And I'll explain how.
Now, first of all, all of you content creators, whether your channel is small, big, or even brand new, you
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should probably listen up. Especially if you're someone in the commentary, education, mental health, news, or lifestyle niche, this law absolutely affects you.
And here's how. Firstly, age verification.
If your content includes anything that could be
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interpreted as adult, sensitive, or potentially harmful to children, platforms may automatically restrict your content in the UK. That means reduced visibility, reduced monetization, and no chance of going viral.
Like, we've already seen YouTube crack down on certain keywords before,
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even videos made by professionals, therapists, and educators. Now, I won't be saying what those words are in this video because I don't want it to be taken down, but with this new law, many of you creators might end up pushing yourself into selfcensorship.
Like, not because you're breaking any laws, but
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because the chances of being flagged or restricted is now really, really high. Secondly, YouTube itself is under pressure to comply with these laws or face massive fines.
And these fines are extreme. Up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover.
Like that is just
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mental. And that kind of pressure means YouTube will likely just play it safe.
And we as creators are the ones who suffer for it. And if your video even slightly risks triggering aid restrictions, YouTube's algorithm might just bury it or even worse, just not show it at all.
Like this is not an
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exaggeration. This is actually happening right now.
And secondly, look, even if you don't create content, but you do use YouTube as a platform as a viewer, yes, this affects you viewers too because as of July 25th, 2025, UK users are now being blocked from accessing a growing
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number of websites that don't comply with this law. Some sites now demand that you upload an ID, a credit card, or do a facial scan just to prove your age.
Like, just think about how mental that is. just to watch a video or read a post.
You now have to hand over your personal data to a third-party
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verification tool, just to access something that was free and open literally 2 weeks ago. Not surprisingly, people are furious, me included.
Like, who even are these third party verification tools? And can we really trust them to keep our data safe?
I personally don't trust them, and
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honestly, neither should you. So, it comes as no surprise that the day this law went live, VPN usage in the UK surged by over 1,400%.
And currently, this is the best and only way to get around it. So, whether you're a content creator or a viewer, now is
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the best time to get ahead of yourself and get a Surf SharkVPN. Because with internet censorship and content blocking already happening in the UK, this isn't just about watching Netflix in another country anymore.
It's now all about protecting your digital freedom and your right to access open and free internet.
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And Surf Shark is a privacy first VPN that encrypts all of your online traffic and hides your real IP address. That means when you use Surf Shark, you'll be able to browse the web safely.
You'll be able to browse it privately and without any regionalbased restrictions, even
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when certain governments try and block access, like the UK for example. Now, they've got over 3,200 servers in 100 countries, and they have lightning fast speeds and no log policies, which means they never track what you do online, ever.
And the best part is you can use
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it on unlimited devices with just one account. Your phone, your laptop, your tablet, your smart TV, they're all covered.
And you also get powerful features like clean web, which blocks ads and malware, bypasser to choose which apps use the BPM, and a built-in kill switch to keep you protected, and
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also the no borders mode. Perfect for when you're in a country with restricted internet access.
Regions like the UK, Russia, Iran, China, for example. You know, like all of those countries that have no freedom of speech.
Weird that, isn't it? Now, I always use a VPN.
I
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used mine long before this new draconian law came into play. And I would recommend you do, too.
Now, if you want to give Surf Shark a try, they've got an exclusive offer on right now, which is very conveniently timed. So, go to surfshark.com/creator.
The link is in the description below or
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use code creator at checkout to get an extra four months of Surf Shark along with a massive discount on your plan. And look, if you're still on the fence, they offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
So, there's pretty much no risk to try out. So, in 2025, where censorship, ID verification, and blocked
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content are becoming the new normal. Surf Shark isn't just helpful, it's kind of essential.
So, look, what does this all mean going forward? Well, the scary part is this law is realistically probably just the start.
other countries will be watching the UK very closely. And if this new law works, like if
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people don't push back enough successfully, we're going to see similar restrictions pop up all across the world, even over there in the US, too. What we're witnessing here is normalization of state controlled content filters.
We're not just being told, don't break the law anymore. We're also now being told, don't break the
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narrative. So, what can you do as a viewer or as a content creator going forward?
Well, firstly, you need to stay informed. Don't just ignore it because it doesn't affect you yet, because at some point it will.
Secondly, protect your access to full internet with Sur Shark, even if you're not in the UK.
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This kind of control is spreading, and having a VPN in 2025 is honestly like having an antivirus back in 2005. And thirdly, just speak up.
Drop a comment below. Like, what do you think?
Is this about safety or is this about censorship? Is this about protecting
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children or is it about just controlling content? Use your voice now more than ever.
It's the only thing they can't take away from you. Now, a bit of good news is the fact that the backlash has been huge all across the world, including from me and especially in the UK.
Hundreds of thousands of us have already signed an official petition
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trying to get this repealed, but obviously the government's probably just going to brush it off and ignore it. But at least it shows we're all trying to fight back.
Anyway, look, thanks for watching. Hope you enjoyed it.
I'll see you in the next one. Goodbye.