US officials challenge the risk of freedom of speech freedom caused by online security laws | Ofcom
The officials of the United States Department of State have challenged the British communications regulator on the impact on freedom of expression created by new online security laws, includes the Guardian.
A group of officials from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (Drl) of the State Department recently met Ofcom in London. It is understood that they raised the problem of the new online security act and how it risked violating freedom of speech.
The body of the State Department later said that the meeting was part of his initiative “to affirm the United States commitment to defend freedom of expressionBoth in Europe and all over the world ”. During the meeting, the of of the ofcom officials said that the new rules were in place only to face explicitly illegal content, as well as material that could be harmful to children.
To the question about the meeting, which intended that he took place in March, a spokesman for the State Department said: “As Vice -President Vance said, we are worried about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. It is important that the United Kingdom respects and protects the freedom of expression”.
The details of the meeting emerged after Jonathan Reynolds, the commercial secretary, denied that the worries about freedom of speech had participated in tariff negotiations with the United States. It has been reported that an agreement could be jeopardized for the case of the anti-abortion activist Livia Tossici-Bolt, who was pursued for an alleged violation of a safe access area outside a bournemouth abortion clinic. The verdict is scheduled for Friday.
He follows months of pressure from characters close to President Trump on freedom of speech. Some accused the government of the United Kingdom of not having protected the free expression, especially after the revolts that took place last summer.
In February, the vice -president of the United States JD Vance complained “Violations on freedom of speech” in the UK. Elon Musk, one of Trump’s closest allies, repeatedly stated that some prison sentences handed down to people who incited the riots on X were a violation of freedom of speech. X host account for figures including Tommy Robinson AND Andrew Tatewho have been accused of encouraging people to join Islamophobic protests.
From revolts last summer, the online security law was implemented as a way to regulate illegal online content. During a visit to the United Kingdom, the team of the United States Department of State held meetings with Ofcom, the Foreign Ministry and the Alliance that defend freedom (ADF), an US group that finances and campaigns on conservative issues.
Among the group was Samuel D Samson, who had previously worked for US conservative organizations. He was appointed Senior councilor at the Drl in January after Trump’s victory. On the day of the US elections last year, he tweeted: “Today we choose God on pagan idols”.
Previously he took close interest to issues related to freedom of speech, writing on the subject in American conservative magazine. The interest of the Drl for Great Britain marks a pivot of an agency originally established in the 70s to advance democracy all over the world against the background of the Cold War. Rather than the national affairs of Great Britain, the defense of the Drl focused on the Middle East, Russia and China.
A spokesman for Ofom said: “This meeting was part of the normal commitment of Ofcom with a series of international stakeholders looking for an factual briefing on how the online safety law works, in practice, to protect the citizens of the United Kingdom”.
The online security law applies to all sites and apps that publish content created by the user, as well as to large search engines. It lists 130 “priority crimes”, which include issues such as sexual abuse on minors, terrorism and fraud.
Mark Jones, a partner of the Payne Hicks Beach law firm, said that ofcom does not “block in freedom of speech”. He said that, in practice, he delegated to the platforms on how content monitor, beyond illegal material. “An example is in relation to misogynist and hypermasculin content,” he said. “Ofcom has written to social media platforms to urge them to go” beyond “their legal obligations pursuant to the online safety law, even if the content itself is not illegal.
“Free Speech Advocates Say That This is Going To Bring About A Culture of” If in Doubt, Cut it out “as platforms Seek to Avoid Being Subject to of of the of enforcement power. On the other side we have musk and (Meta Chief Executive Mark) Zuckerberg Who Have Spoken Out Out About The Online Safety Laws in the UK and “Institutionalising Caresorship”.
