Substack caves into censorship regime and restricts UK users
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”?
From late November 2025, Substack began requiring users in the UK to upload a government-issued ID or 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
See more here expose-news.com
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