Many experts, technologists, politicians, and everyday users have already raised concerns about the negative effects these checks could pose for people's online privacy, security, free speech, and access to information. Yet, age verification is only one part of the 300-page-long Online Safety Act.

Wikipedia has lost its High Court challenge against the Online Safety Act – but what does that actually mean? The act introduced age-verification and tighter moderation requirements for what content internet users can find last month.

Wikipedia has lost a legal challenge to new Online Safety Act rules which it says could threaten the human rights and safety of its volunteer editors. The Wikimedia Foundation - the non-profit which supports the online encyclopaedia - wanted a judicial review of regulations which could mean Wikipedia has to verify the identities of its users.