Confusion arises over whether online Bible website is being blocked in UK

A growing number of social media users are worried that the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) is being used to restrict access to the massively popular Bible Gateway website.

The OSA was passed in 2023 with the purported aim of making Britain the “safest place in the world to be online.” Among other things, the ominous-sounding measure seeks to prevent minors from accessing X-rated websites as well as prohibiting the spread of misinformation, terrorism, child abuse, and similar unsavory content.

On Thursday, dozens of users on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X shared screen shots that seemed to suggest they were being prevented from visiting the website due to the OSA.

“If you ever needed proof this legislation was a Trojan horse and our government is diametrically opposed to our nation’s Christian values and heritage here it is,” Brett Murphy, an Anglican cleric living in the UK, argued. “The ‘online safety act’ has been used to block the website ‘Bible gateway’ a Web page that has multiple bible translations and commentaries available for free.

Confusion arises over whether online Bible website is being blocked in UK - LifeSite

Some users have complained that they aren't able to access the Bible Gateway website, but the publisher stated that it's due to a technical issue.

www.lifesitenews.com

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

Guess i better start getting use to it and reading from my physical bible now if this is going to become the norm this side of the tribulation

 

[Tall Timbers]

I just connected via a United Kingdom IP address and tried to surf to biblegateway.com and got this notice:

Content Unavailable​

Bible Gateway is currently unavailable to consumers in the United Kingdom and European Union due to technical issues. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Paid Bible Gateway Plus account users in these regions should receive a refund for their subscription no later than September 15, 2025. If you have not received a refund by this date, please reach out to Customer Service.

It's definitely blocked. The UK has fallen.

What UK users can do is use a VPN and choose an IP from a country that still allows access to biblegateway.com.

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

The west is slowly falling, i hope they ban the equivalent of the online Koran too !!!

 

[Everlasting Life]

I just connected via a United Kingdom IP address and tried to surf to biblegateway.com and got this notice:

Content Unavailable​

Bible Gateway is currently unavailable to consumers in the United Kingdom and European Union due to technical issues. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Paid Bible Gateway Plus account users in these regions should receive a refund for their subscription no later than September 15, 2025. If you have not received a refund by this date, please reach out to Customer Service.

It's definitely blocked. The UK has fallen.

What UK users can do is use a VPN and choose an IP from a country that still allows access to biblegateway.com.

So very sad. Sure have been praying for the church there....



ETA: While online material is handy, I think having the physical in hand is better. Things disappear from tech areas....

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

The west is slowly falling, i hope they ban the equivalent of the online Koran too !!!

islam/sharia is "almost certainly" why the website is blocked. The q'ran won't be blocked. It'll probably get a pinned spot right on top of search results, browsers, etc.

I just connected via a United Kingdom IP address and tried to surf to biblegateway.com and got this notice:

Content Unavailable​

Bible Gateway is currently unavailable to consumers in the United Kingdom and European Union due to technical issues. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Paid Bible Gateway Plus account users in these regions should receive a refund for their subscription no later than September 15, 2025. If you have not received a refund by this date, please reach out to Customer Service.

It's definitely blocked. The UK has fallen.

What UK users can do is use a VPN and choose an IP from a country that still allows access to biblegateway.com.

They can also use Tor (if they can get to it; they may have to do a manual configuration, experiment with various bridges, settings, etc.). What works one time, may or may not work the next, and what has stopped working, may start working again.

If they have a phone with a US, or maybe Canadian or other country, phone number, they may be able to access that way, either directly or by tethering.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Went to a 3rd-party (Open Rights Group) website to check blocking status in UK. Some ISPs have been blocking for awhile, but another just started.

I checked specific site blocking BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.

Check if a site is being blocked

Report incorrectly blocked sites on UK ISP and mobile networks.

www.blocked.org.uk

I checked for blocking of sites in the category Christianity, and found that 116 websites are blocked

Websites being blocked by UK Internet Service Providers

Report incorrectly blocked sites on UK ISP and mobile networks.

www.blocked.org.uk

The same ISP that started blocking Biblegateway is also blocking the Church of England's website Check if a site is being blocked, as of today. This is especially alarming because it's the OFFICIAL National Church.

Check if a site is being blocked

Report incorrectly blocked sites on UK ISP and mobile networks.

www.blocked.org.uk

My denomination and the partner church in England not blocked.

The ISP Three merged with Vodaphone and is going to merge with Smarty. Not going to link to them, so they don't see it via Google (linked sites) and block CCF.

So now, is the King going to uphold his oath regarding the Church of England?

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Some sites are saying it's not just UK, that it's EU.

Hope @Kaatje doesn't have issues getting there or here.