Wikipedia has lost a legal challenge to the rules of the new online security act, which states that it may endanger human rights and safety of its volunteer editors.
Wikimedia Foundation – non -profitable who supports online encyclopedia – wanted judicial review of rules which could mean Wikipedia would have to verify the identity of its users.
But despite this loss, he said, Decision “Wikipedia and the UK government emphasized the responsibility to ensure that Wikipedia is preserved”.
The government told the BBC that it welcomed the High Court’s decision, “which would help us continue our work to implement the online security act, to create a safe online world for all”.
Judicial review challenges the validity of the methods decided by a public body.
In this case, the Wikimedia Foundation and a Wikipedia editor tried to challenge the method in which the government decided to cover the rules, in which the sites should be classified “Category 1” under the Online Security Act – strict rule sites.
It argued that the rules were logically flawed and very broad, which means that a policy would apply to Wikipedia to implement additional rules on large social media companies.
Especially the additional duties of the foundation requirement are related – if Wikipedia was classified as category 1 – it would mean that it would have to verify the identity of its contributors, reduce their privacy and security.
The way it can be classified as category 1 will be cutting the number of people in the UK that can reach about three-fourths to online incellopidia, or disable major functions on the site.
The government’s lawyers argued that the ministers had considered whether Wikipedia should be exempted from the rules, but the idea had been rejected due to it.
Finally, the court rejected Wikimedia’s arguments.
But the Wikimedia Foundation’s leading lawyer Phil Bradley-Shig said that the decision in the words of Shri Justice Johnson, “did not apply a green light to apply a green light, which would significantly disrupt the operation of Wikipedia”.
And the decision makes it clear that other legal challenges may be possible.
Wikimedia may potentially challenge the decision of com if the regulator finally decided to classify the site as category 1.
And if the effect of creating Wikipedia category 1 meant that it could not operate, other legal challenges could follow it.
“Wikipedia is caught in strict rules due to its size and the material created by the user, even if it argues (confidently) that it is quite different from other user-to-use platforms,” said data protection litigation specialist at Mona Shridel, Law Firm Firm Firm Firm.
“The court’s decision has left the door open to be free from strict rules on reviews for Wikipedia.”
The communication regulator, which will enforce the Act, told the BBC, “We focus on the court’s decision and will continue to carry forward our work in relation to classified services and additional online security rules related to those companies.”
