Last year, the GOV.UK Design System launched the Exit this Page component (EtP), a safety tool for people in potentially violent situations to quickly leave a webpage. Instead of using the Escape key, which had too many conflicting functions, they chose to use the Shift key. Shift has its own set of challenges, including issues with accessibility features and touch devices, but ultimately, it was the best choice available. The EtP component redirects users to the BBC Weather page to avoid political bias and provide a content-rich page for users to land on. Overall, the team aimed for improvement rather than perfection in creating this important tool.
https://beeps.website/blog/2024-10-09-why-govuk-exit-this-page-doesnt-use-escape/