As a practical matter, Lobsters can’t comply. The OSA is written for commercial sites far bigger than this non-commercial, hobbyist forum. The regulator’s statements include many long, cross-referenced legalese documents (an incomplete sample, because I can’t find a directory): 1 2 3 4 5. Sites are required to produce lengthy documentation about their features, practices, and risks - both up-front and as they moderate. Attempting to understand which sections apply and how to comply would be a huge project. Doing so correctly would require legal advice we can’t afford. The cost in time and money to implement the bureaucratic processes it demands also outstrip a hobbyist forum.

There’s also an ideological matter, that Lobsters is not a UK entity or operated in its jurisdiction. The OSA isn’t written to directly regulate the UK’s occupants, it exerts authority over non-UK maintainers of sites that UK occupants read. Even if the OSA was proportionate and reasonable, complying would encourage every jurisdiction to write similarly broad laws.

…

So the current, bad plan is that Lobsters will geoblock the UK before the law takes effect on March 16. While the inaccuracy of IP databases and availability of VPNs mean that this can’t be perfectly accurate, unambiguously blocking UK occupants as effectively as we can is the only course I see to substantially reduce the risk the OSA is enforced against the site.

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