In 2021, after the barbaric Islamist murder of Sir David Amess MP, the response of Britain’s political class was as baffling as it was shameful: it decided to ramp up censorship of the internet. Somehow, MPs’ vital personal safety came to be equated with the nebulous concept of ‘safety’ online, along with the protection of ‘democracy’ from hurty words and unapproved opinions. The Online Safety Act (OSA) was born, handing vast new powers to Ofcom to ‘regulate’ what could be said online.
If Washington is now looking to apply the thumbscrews to senior British officials pushing social media censorship, it has plenty to choose from
Well, that was then, and this is now. Twitter, the most influential platform for political news, has become X, and its new owner Elon Musk has made online free speech his mission. The Trump administration has done the same, and with Britain increasingly viewed in MAGA-world as something of a police state, this has set up a clash with the new regime in Washington.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in