Reform UK Vows to Scrap Online Safety Act, Labeling It a Threat to Free Speech
The Reform UK press conference has concluded, with the party announcing its intention to repeal the Online Safety Act if it comes to power. While confirming that Colin Sutton has joined as a crime adviser, the main focus of the event was the party’s opposition to the legislation.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, acknowledged the need to protect children from harmful online content—a key goal of the act—but argued that the law was poorly designed and excessively restricted free expression.
Zia Yusuf, a former party chair now overseeing Reform’s local election efforts, provided a detailed critique of the act. He described Britain as drifting toward a dystopian state, accusing the legislation of failing to safeguard children while stifling public debate.
Yusuf argued that the measure follows historical patterns where authoritarianism is masked by laws claiming to ensure safety. He declared that Reform would revoke the act, calling it the most severe attack on free speech in modern times.
Key Concerns with the Act:
1. Government Control Over Censorship: Yusuf criticized provisions allowing a cabinet minister to direct Ofcom in defining what content social media platforms must remove, calling it an excessive power resembling authoritarian regimes.
2. Vaguely Defined Offenses: The act criminalizes sharing knowingly false information causing "non-trivial psychological harm," which Yusuf claimed would lead platforms to preemptively silence certain voices.
3. Harsh Penalties: Fines of up to 10% of global revenue and potential imprisonment for company executives, he said, would push firms toward overzealous censorship.
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