• Wikimedia Foundation loses court case against the UK's Online Safety Act.
• The ruling may force Wikipedia to verify user identities, limiting access.
• Judge ruled that Ofcom may not implement overly strict regulations on Wikipedia.
• Critics argue the law could jeopardize free speech and legal content.
• The UK government insists the law aims to protect children and remove illegal content.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, lost a legal challenge against parts of the UK's Online Safety Act, a law criticized for potentially limiting free speech. The foundation contended that the regulations could classify Wikipedia as a "Category 1" service, which would require it to verify the identities of users and contributors, thus limiting access significantly for many British users, according to Reuters, India Times, and BBC.

Judge Jeremy Johnson dismissed the Wikimedia Foundation's challenge but indicated that the organization could revisit the issue if the regulator Ofcom incorrectly determined that Wikipedia fell under Category 1. However, he clarified that his ruling does not permit Ofcom or the Secretary of State to adopt rules that would "significantly impede Wikipedia's operations," according to Reuters and India Times.

Free-speech advocates and content creators have expressed concern over the Online Safety Act's broad implementation, which they argue risks removing legal content rather than effectively protecting users. The law, aimed at safeguarding children from online harms, has faced notable backlash from platforms like X and various advocacy groups, who state that its provisions are too expansive, according to BBC and Reuters.