Ofcom, the UK's online safety regulator, will require all UK residents to show proof of identity to access social networks. A national identification system is activated. Critics described the initiative as an Orwellian invasion of free speech and privacy that would destroy online anonymity and increase the risk of censorship.

Ofcom, the UK's online safety regulator, will require all UK residents to show proof of identity to access social networks. A national identification system is activated. Critics described the initiative as an Orwellian invasion of free speech and privacy that would destroy online anonymity and increase the risk of censorship.