{"id":97088,"date":"2025-08-12T05:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T09:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/?p=97088"},"modified":"2025-08-11T18:10:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T22:10:04","slug":"britain-warns-online-platforms-about-overzealous-interpretation-of-online-safety-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/2025\/08\/12\/britain-warns-online-platforms-about-overzealous-interpretation-of-online-safety-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain warns online platforms about “overzealous” interpretation of online safety law"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Ben the Layabout” posted a note over at Founding Questions<\/em> linking to a Telegraph<\/em> article<\/a> [archive.ph link] that seems to indicate the British government is demanding that online services both enforce the letter of the law and<\/em> the spirit … whatever that might mean at any given moment in time:<\/p>\n

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“Palace of Westminster”<\/a>by michaelhenley<\/a><\/span> is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0<\/a><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Social media giants face huge fines for curbing free speech by “overzealous” enforcement of online safety laws<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ministers have told platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok they must not restrict access to posts that express lawfully held views.<\/p>\n

The warning, in an apparent change of tone from ministers, comes amid a backlash over websites blocking users from viewing material, including parliamentary debates about grooming gangs.<\/p>\n

Campaigners have said that free speech is threatened by the Government’s application of the Online Safety Act<\/em>, which is meant to protect children from harmful content.<\/p>\n

JD Vance, the US vice-president, used a visit to the UK this week to warn ministers against going down the “dark path” of censorship<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whitehall sources have expressed concern that social media firms, some of which have criticised the law, “have been overzealous” in enforcing it and must be “mindful” of the right to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

The Science Department, which oversees the legislation, told companies they could face fines if they failed to uphold free speech rules.<\/p>\n

A spokesman said:<\/p>\n