Biblegateway.com unavailable in UK and Europe

zooterkin

Nitpicking dilettante, Administrator
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zooterkin
Joined
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I realise this is of fairly niche interest, but I use the site https://www.biblegateway.com occasionally to look up quoted bible references, etc. (I lost track of the physical bibles I own years ago.). It could also belong in the internet forum.

If you go there now from the UK, you get the message:

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.

Frequently Asked Questions​

  • When will access to Bible Gateway be restored for UK and EU consumers?
    We are working on a new solution.
  • I have a paid subscription to Bible Gateway Plus. Will I be reimbursed?
    Yes, users who have a paid Bible Gateway Plus account 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.
  • Will saved content (e.g., notes, progress) be accessible?
    No, all account data and saved content will no longer be accessible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
  • What content will be available once Bible Gateway is restored?
    We are working on a new solution.
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According to Wikipedia, this only started this month. I have no idea what technical issue might cause this, though it is only recently that age-verification has been required for adult-content sites. Is the bible harmful to children? An alternative might be some sort of GDPR issue, since it's only countries where that applies that are affected, apparently.
 
That is a strange one. The site does have content that we would usually consider unsuitable for children, Lot being raped by his daughters for example but if it was the new SOA UK act that would just be the UK. I suppose it might be something to do with GDPR, have they been storing personal details and other data outside the UK and the EU and not taken the correct steps to make that legal?
 
Darat said:
That is a strange one. The site does have content that we would usually consider unsuitable for children, Lot being raped by his daughters for example but if it was the new SOA UK act that would just be the UK. I suppose it might be something to do with GDPR, have they been storing personal details and other data outside the UK and the EU and not taken the correct steps to make that legal?
Click to expand...
It's odd, as you say. If it was GDPR, anyway, that would surely be a legal rather than technical matter, but perhaps they don't want to admit to it yet.
 
Have you tried asking them directly? Does the customer service link work for you?

(For the record I have no problems accessing the site from Canada.)
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
Have you tried asking them directly? Does the customer service link work for you?

(For the record I have no problems accessing the site from Canada.)
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I'm not a paid subscriber, so I wouldn't expect to get more than the list of FAQs. There are alternative sites I can use on the rare occasions I want to look up a verse, though their range of versions was handy sometimes.
 
zooterkin said:
have no idea what technical issue might cause this, though it is only recently that age-verification has been required for adult-content sites. Is the bible harmful to children? An alternative might be some sort of GDPR issue, since it's only countries where that applies that are affected, apparently.
Click to expand...


Rape, incest, genocide, the murder of children, death by animal attack of children, torture, execution.. That's just of the top of my head. Oddly it doesn't seem to bother the people outraged by "Heather Has Two Mommies".
 
This "issue" doesn't seem to have effected other bible sites. Biblegateway did have a reputation amongst ME scholars for poor accuracy in quotes. Also a terrible amount of trackers and ads.
 


P.J. Denyer said:
Rape, incest, genocide, the murder of children, death by animal attack of children, torture, execution.. That's just of the top of my head. Oddly it doesn't seem to bother the people outraged by "Heather Has Two Mommies".
Click to expand...

Those same people excuse the story of Lot and his daughters. When I was a child our family watched the first half of their story which was part of a biblical movie on TV.
 
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