Haiku Inc, the non-profit company overseeing the development of the operating system Haiku, has announced its decision to block users from the UK from accessing the project’s forum and other community interaction platforms. This move comes in response to the legal and financial risks posed by the UK’s Online Safety Act, set to come into effect on March 16. Alexander von Gluk, a member of the board of directors of Haiku Inc, shared the reasoning behind this decision.
The project does not have the resources for legal analysis and infrastructure needed to comply with the requirements of the Online Safety Act. With the law requiring extensive paperwork and risk assessments, Haiku Inc determined that it was not feasible to meet these demands. The Online Safety Act is extraterritorial, meaning it applies to sites outside the UK if they are deemed to be “associated with the UK.”
In order to avoid the risks associated with non-compliance, Haiku Inc has opted to block access from the UK to its community interaction platforms. This includes the forum, as well as services like gerrit and Haiku Depot. However, the Haiku website and project repositories will remain accessible. The decision to block access from the UK is seen as a temporary measure until a more permanent solution can be found.
By taking this action, Haiku Inc hopes to protect the project from potential legal repercussions and financial penalties. The complexities of the Online Safety Act have made it difficult for organizations like Haiku Inc to navigate the requirements, leading to this unfortunate but necessary decision.