Craig
TS Administrator
Forum Announcement – Online Safety Act Changes
As you’re likely aware, the Online Safety Act (OSA) has now come into force. Because TowersStreet is publicly accessible, we’ve had to make some changes to stay compliant.
This is a long post, so here’s the quick TL;DR. All changes are effective immediately:
- The entire forum is now PG. No swearing or adult content anywhere.
- The Tavern has been removed from view.
- Some sub-forums have new names.
- Discord is now 18+ only.
- Private messaging is restricted for new members – it unlocks after 30 days and 10 public posts.
- New members will have their first 5 posts approved before they appear.
- Image uploads are no longer available.
- Avatars and signatures have updated rules and are reviewed by the team.
- Member Expectations are now Member Guidelines and have been rewritten.
Why change without consultation?
We’d have loved to talk this through with you all, but the OSA’s requirements are very specific, the timescales short, and in some cases the changes are non-negotiable. This is a legal requirement with potentially serious consequences if we don’t comply.We’ve tried to keep the forum running as close to normal as possible, but we also have to be realistic. TowersStreet is run entirely by volunteers and there’s only so much extra work we can take on.
The forum is now PG, and The Tavern has been removed
Swearing is now banned everywhere, including “veiled” swearing (like $%!#). The word filter has been updated to help catch this.The OSA means we can’t just say a section is for adults without adding a full age verification system. That would mean extra costs, admin work and risk classification. Because of that, The Tavern is now hidden. Over the next week, the team will review and edit topics where possible, then move them into new or renamed forums. Please be patient while we run through this process as quickly as possible.
If you're expecting a particular topic to come across and you can't see it, please let us know.
Sub-forum name changes
We’re renaming and reshaping some sections to make their purpose clearer:- News, Life & Sport – News, Personal Topics & Current Affairs (formerly Corner Coffee)
- Entertainment Hub – Movies, TV, Music & Games (formerly Box Office)
- The Giggler – Jokes, Humour & Off-Topic Fun (replaces The Tavern)
Some topics will be moved and, in certain cases, we’ll add a content warning/note and links to support groups added (like in the “I Feel Down” thread).
Discord is now 18+
If Discord stayed open to all, it would be classed as “likely accessed by children” under the OSA. That would mean more assessments and monitoring tools. To avoid that, Discord is now 18+ and marked NSFW.You’ll need to pass Discord’s own age verification to join. If you’re under 18 or unverified, you’ll have been removed automatically.
We know this affects meet channels, although we now strongly recommend under-18s attend meets with a responsible adult. Due to this, team members will endeavour to check the meet threads on the forum more often to answer questions.
New member post moderation
New members will have their first 5 posts manually approved before they appear. This is part of our work to reduce the risk of harmful content.Please be patient, our team will approve posts as soon as possible.
Image uploads disabled
Hosting images ourselves would require costly tools to scan every upload for harmful content. That’s not realistic for us, so uploading images directly to TowersStreet is now disabled.You can still embed images hosted elsewhere, and in special cases (big trip reports, signatures) we can host them for you if you contact a team member. Avatars can still be uploaded, but will be reviewed by the team before being displayed.
Private messaging restricted
- Private messages (PMs) are considered “user-to-user content” under the OSA, meaning we are responsible for moderating them.
- To mitigate potential issues, PMs are disabled for new members. They will automatically be available after a user has been registered for 30 days and has made 10 public posts.
- Before that, if members need to contact the team, a banner linking to a contact form is visible for them at the top of each forum page. Alternatively, you can email [email protected], or reply to the welcome PM that will now be automatically sent.
- If you’re a new member over 18 and want to chat privately with other members prior to PMs being unlocked, you are welcome to use Discord after passing their verification.
Avatars & Signatures
- Avatars must follow PG standards – no adult, violent, or offensive imagery.
- They should be 400×400px for best display, with animation allowed if subtle and not overly distracting.
- Avatars are reviewed by the team when uploaded and may be removed if unsuitable.
- Signatures must remain sensible in size (around 400px high, max 5 images and 6 lines of text).
- Animation is allowed if not too distracting.
- External hosting recommended, but an administrator can help host them if needed.
Member Guidelines
We’ve rewritten our Member Guidelines (formerly Member Expectations) to make sure they’re compliant. The spirit of them is the same, but the wording and format are updated. You can read them here, they’re also linked at the bottom of the page.What about everyone offering to donate to fund the tools and extra work required?
We really appreciate offers of financial help, but donations can inadvertently create a tiered membership system. Many of the tools we’d need require ongoing costs and substantial additional administration work. We’ve kept TowersStreet running by keeping expenses sensible, and we want to keep it that way.Conclusion
The OSA is the law and ignoring it isn’t an option. We’ve made the minimum changes needed to comply, while aiming to keep the day-to-day forum experience as normal as possible.Whilst the changes have been implemented, some of you may have further questions or feedback. Please feel free to contact us via the contact form, by PM (if enabled for you), or by email – we’ll be happy to chat.
Craig and Sazzle
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