迄今为止，英国《网络安全法》的实际影响相对温和，未出现担忧中的广泛压制现象。自2023年起，这项法律陆续实施，要求网络平台以多种方式保护用户，尤其是儿童，包括移除非法内容和对部分内容实施年龄验证。例如，自7月起，大约1400万定期观看网络色情内容的英国用户被要求证明年龄，Pornhub的流量因此下降了77%。2023年10月，论坛4chan因未提交风险评估被Ofcom罚款2万英镑（约2.6万美元）。

面对担忧，该法案并未导致大规模审查或删除信息，目前暂无相关数据表明移除内容的数量大幅增加，研究人员也未观察到显著变化。Ofcom的指导意见让平台将重点放在对社会危害极大的内容（如儿童色情、人口贩运、毒品与武器交易）上，而非单纯的冒犯性言论。尽管Ofcom有权对违规平台处以其全球收入10%的罚款，但实际运作更像财务监管机构，通过“引导”平台逐步完善内容管理。

然而，该法仍存争议，如部分批评者认为清理互联网本身就是误导。也有人指出此举或促使部分儿童转向通过VPN等方式访问更危险的网络内容；同时，要求成年用户提供个人信息进行实名验证也被认为侵犯隐私。尽管如此，缺乏证据表明次生影响会更严重，而适度限制被认为是为保护儿童而必须承担的合理负担。随法律的逐步完善，英国选择了渐进式的实施路径。

So far, the actual impact of Britain’s Online Safety Act has been relatively mild, countering fears of widespread suppression. Phased in since 2023, the law requires platforms to protect users, especially children, in several ways, including removing illegal content and implementing age verification for certain material. For instance, since July, about 14 million Britons who regularly view online pornography have had to verify their age, and Pornhub reported a 77% drop in traffic. In October 2023, the forum 4chan was fined £20,000 ($26,000) by Ofcom for failing to submit a risk assessment.

Contrary to prominent worries, the Act has not resulted in large-scale censorship or takedown activity—no significant changes in removal rates have been observed, nor have researchers reported dramatic shifts. Ofcom guidance focuses efforts on high-harm content (such as child pornography, trafficking, drugs, and weapons), not merely offensive posts. While Ofcom can impose fines of up to 10% of global revenue for violations, in practice, it has acted more as a financial regulator, encouraging platforms to gradually refine content moderation.

Nonetheless, the law remains controversial. Critics say the notion of “cleaning up” the internet is misguided, with some arguing it may push children toward more dangerous parts of the web via VPNs, and others raising privacy concerns for adults required to verify their identity. Yet there is little evidence these secondary effects will be worse, and moderate restrictions are widely considered a reasonable burden to protect children. As lawmakers refine the approach, Britain’s implementation has been gradualist.