The Online Safety Act 2023 is a landmark UK law designed to make the internet a safer place — especially for children and vulnerable users. But while its aims are clear, many small business owners are left asking: what does this mean for me?
In this post, we’ll explore the key aspects of the law, its potential negative effects on small websites like Onyx Dragon, and the realistic steps small business owners can take without breaking the bank.
🔍 What Is the Online Safety Act?
The Online Safety Act places new legal responsibilities on platforms and website owners to:
- Protect children from harmful content
- Remove illegal content
- Prevent users from being exposed to “legal but harmful” material (for certain regulated services)
- Monitor user-generated content (UGC)
- Provide tools for user reporting and moderation
It mainly targets large social media platforms, forums, and video-sharing services, but smaller websites are not completely excluded — especially if they allow UGC, comments, or blogs open to public interaction.
🚨 Potential Negative Effects for Small Businesses
Although well-intentioned, the bill could carry unintended consequences for small websites:
- Age verification expectations (even when not legally required) could pressure small business owners to adopt expensive or intrusive plugins.
- Plugins that support age verification are rarely free, and premium options could cost hundreds of pounds annually, adding another burden for microbusinesses.
- If required to install such measures, some small shops might be pushed out of business due to compliance costs.
- Visitors may be put off by having to present ID for low-risk products (like herbal tea), leading to a drop in trust and potential sales.
For small, ethical e-commerce sites like Onyx Dragon, this could create a chilling effect, where fear of unintentional non-compliance restricts natural business growth.
🧾 Would Verification Be Needed for Purchases?
As of now, age verification is not required just to make purchases — unless you’re selling products like:
- Pornographic content
- Gambling services
- Vapes, knives, alcohol, or other regulated items
Since Onyx Dragon sells holistic products, teas, and ethically sourced coffee, it’s not legally obligated to implement age checks at checkout. But some payment processors or future plugins may apply their own verification layers in anticipation of evolving interpretations of the law.
⚠️ Can Content on Small Blogs Like Ours Cause Issues?
Yes — potentially. Even small blogs may be scrutinised if:
- They include sensitive or triggering content without warnings (e.g., discussions of trauma, mental health, or abuse)
- They allow open comments from the public without moderation
- They are accessible to children and don’t declare an intended audience
That’s why Onyx Dragon has begun stating that its blog and overall content is aimed at a 16+ audience — striking a balance between openness and responsibility.
📄 Should You Add a Disclaimer Page?
Absolutely. Creating a disclaimer page on WordPress (not just a blog post) can:
- Clearly state your intended audience (e.g., 16+)
- Warn users about mature themes or sensitive content
- Reinforce that parental discretion is advised
- Clarify that the business is not selling any age-restricted or illegal content
While it won’t replace legal compliance where it’s required, it can help communicate intent and protect you from misunderstandings.
🛍️ Could These Measures Cost Sales?
Yes. Forcing ID verification on a site like Onyx Dragon — where no age-restricted products are sold — could be:
- Invasive for the customer
- Expensive to implement
- Unnecessary given the nature of the products
Even with a voluntary age gate, customers may be less willing to engage. It’s another example of how blanket expectations for safety can hurt small ethical businesses disproportionately.
💰 Plugin Costs Add Up Fast
Most reliable age verification plugins on WordPress are not free. Many come with:
- Subscription fees
- Third-party verification tools
- Setup or integration costs
This adds to the already tight budgets of microbusinesses and could lead to closures, especially for one-person startups or ethically-minded shops trying to do things right.
👨👩👧 Would Parental Oversight Be More Effective?
One point that’s often missed in government-led policy is the responsibility of parents. For truly effective online safety:
- Parents and guardians must be engaged in their children’s digital lives
- Content filters and family controls can be more effective than forcing every site to self-police
- Placing the entire burden on small websites is neither fair nor scalable
🧾 Does Occasional Swearing Count as Adult Content?
If you’re wondering whether occasional mild swearing could cause problems: don’t worry. It’s generally not classed as adult content under the Act.
But you should still be mindful:
- Avoid repeated or explicit profanity
- Add content warnings if needed
- Make your intended audience clear (e.g., “16+”)
- Use disclaimers and categories (e.g., “Mature Themes”)
For Onyx Dragon, occasional language tied to real-world issues won’t likely pose legal problems, especially when paired with a visible disclaimer.
✅ Conclusion
The Online Safety Act aims to protect, but without clarity and scalability, it could unintentionally burden small ethical businesses and independent creators. As a small brand committed to ethical sourcing and mental health awareness, Onyx Dragon supports online safety — but urges policymakers to consider the unique challenges of independent UK microbusinesses.
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