Substack has implemented measures to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act, which requires age verification for accessing certain types of content deemed “potentially harmful.” The obvious problem is: What information does the UK government deem “potentially harmful”?
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From late November 2025, Substack began requiring users in the UK to upload a government-issued ID and a selfie to access content categorised as sexually explicit, promoting self-harm, hate speech, violent material or dangerous challenges.
This move follows the UK’s regulatory framework that mandates platforms to restrict access to such content unless users verify their age.
While Substack maintains that it opposes these laws, stating they are not necessarily effective and come with significant costs to free expression and privacy, it has chosen to comply with local regulations to continue operating in the UK. The company emphasises that the changes are limited to users in the UK and has briefly mentioned Australia, where similar rules are being enforced, but has not reiterated restrictions to Australian users.
Substack’s compliance with these rules, despite its stated principles of free expression, marks a notable concession to the UK’s regulatory regime. Paid subscribers with verified payment information are exempt from additional verification steps.
However, it represents a significant shift toward censorship and surveillance, with concerns that it undermines digital freedom and privacy. The UK’s Online Safety Act has led to widespread age verification demands across platforms, effectively restricting access to content ranging from period-related subreddits to hobbyist forums.
The new restrictions aren’t limited to posts. Substack has warned that chats, direct messages, comments and Notes may also be blurred or blocked if they fall within the Act’s definition of “potentially harmful.”
According to Substack’s Help Centre, age verification will apply to any publication or post containing the following:
- Sexually explicit or pornographic content.
- Content that encourages self-harm, including eating disorders or suicide.
- Bullying or harassment.
- Hate targeting protected characteristics (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation).
- Violent or graphic material.
However, this is the type of content that Substack is restricting.
If you are in the UK and select the “Chat” option on the left-hand side menu while on Substack, you will see this message:
Substack has blocked access to ALL chats.
Also, previously re-Stacked articles have been blocked. For example, THIS article by Laura Perrins. People in the UK who refuse to comply and verify their age can no longer view even the title or image of an article:
What was the offensive article that Substack is censoring at the behest of the UK government? You can read the article HERE and judge for yourself if the content is “potentially harmful” or is merely the UK government silencing its critics.
Sources for this article include:
- The UK’s censorship catastrophe is just the beginning, User Mag, 1 August 2025
- Our position on the Online Safety Act, On Substack, 20 October 2025
- Why is Substack asking to verify my age? On Substack, 25 November 2025
- Substack Will Now Require Age Verification for UK Users, Wersm, 26 November 2025
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Categories: Breaking News, UK News
Woe unto the people Britian!
And VERY disapointed in Substack bending the knee….
“disappointed”
In NL – there is a BSL3 just down the road .Several scientists from there have(separately) patiently waited for my kick step to glide towards their stopped car .
( see top 7 photos & 5th from page bottom ,forget blurb ,images dont lie ,etched in stone … http://www.sofiamusicschool.nl )
Asking to see the lage strasse – the conversation always convivial – and then – the heads up:- ”many profs stand to lose their subsidies” – (at least in N Hemisphere – where most fossils are found . )
The fun starts when AI is too ignorantly programmable to be of significance ,ie the dearth of S Hemisphere ‘lage strasse’ ,let alone fossils ,too much Pangean break up since 60km asteroid hit Wilkes Land ..the ‘big 5’
So censorship is amusingly impotent ,on at least a minimicroraptor ,which doesnt exist officially .Except I’m holding it – encased ,to extent of mmr’s eyeball visibility x200Ma ..especially as modern thinkers are used to utilising ‘hypotheses’ .
Makes the ten commandments look awfully fragile !