Is the UK Online Safety Act Flawed?

This week on The Awareness Angle, Anthony Davis and Luke Pettigrew untangle the week’s biggest cybersecurity themes—from silent data breaches to AI tool mishaps and the slow-moving train of regulatory change. Whether it’s government policies, scam trends, or workplace surveillance, this episode covers the tensions between safety, privacy, and the real-world consequences of overlooked vulnerabilities.🔞 The UK Online Safety Act & Age Verification – Luke breaks down the new age checks for adult content in the UK. Will they work? Will people just use VPNs? We explore the privacy trade-offs, the rise in demand for incognito browsing, and what the law might mean for future content regulation.📈 VPN Usage Spikes – Anthony talks about the broader privacy impact, including a 30% spike in VPN signups, especially among iPhone users. Is this privacy-conscious behaviour—or just workarounds?🚗 Digital Surveillance Creep – From employer device monitoring to always-on productivity tools, we dive into how digital surveillance is quietly creeping into the workplace and public life—and how it's being normalised.🏁 NASCAR & Allianz Breaches – Luke highlights recent major data breaches in both the finance and sports sectors. Allianz Life’s 12-million user exposure shows just how fragile enterprise security postures can be, while NASCAR joins a growing list of entertainment brands hit by attackers.🧠 Phishing Tests Reconsidered – Are traditional phishing tests actually backfiring? We debate whether they build resilience or just resentment—and how security teams can rethink the human risk approach.🖥️ Microsoft Copilot Mode & Surveillance Concerns – Anthony explains how Microsoft’s “Copilot Vision” could log user activity in the name of productivity. We discuss where the line is between helpful automation and invasive oversight.📜 GDPR vs AI Regulation – The conversation shifts to Europe’s privacy regulation legacy. We compare GDPR’s maturity to newer AI regulations and ask whether privacy is still being prioritised as new tech emerges.🧑‍🎓 Youth & Cyber Literacy – What are schools actually teaching about cybersecurity and digital literacy? We explore the lack of early education on scams, security, and safe digital habits—and why that matters for the next generation.Whether you’re leading security comms, shaping policy, or just trying to stay one step ahead of the next privacy headache—this episode packs practical insights, candid takes, and a few unexpected side quests.🕒 Timestamps00:00:00 – Intro & studio update00:03:08 – VPN chaos & Online Safety Act00:06:05 – Labour’s VPN warning00:08:57 – Sims beat facial recognition00:11:10 – Spotify’s age checks00:12:42 – Funny VPN reel00:16:08 – YouTube uses AI to guess age00:17:16 – Google AI search shake-up00:21:10 – Lovense email leak00:23:31 – Copilot Mode & privacy00:27:05 – Allianz breach00:29:28 – St. Paul ransomware00:32:53 – NASCAR ransom00:35:31 – Orange France hack00:36:42 – QR code TikTok goes viral00:39:47 – Copilot Vision backlash00:42:19 – CybSafe SebDB 4.000:44:42 – Free maturity model tool00:48:58 – SANS Summit preview00:52:53 – Shoutout to Dan Connolly00:55:08 – Phishing test horror story01:01:09 – Bin chaos = bad UX01:04:40 – Bird audio encryption01:08:58 – Fable Security debut📩 For links, videos, and the newsletter – head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0