UK defends Online Safety Act after X claims it threatens free speech
Under new UK rules, platforms must work to prevent children accessing harmful content like material that encourages suicide, but X says regulators are heavy-handed
The British government defended the Online Safety Act after US tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech.
In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators.
The government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech and said it is not designed to censor political debate.
Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide.
This includes a new duty for online providers to reduce the risk that users encounter illegal content as well as age verification measures in the UK to access pornographic content.
“As a result, the act’s laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach. Without a more balanced, collaborative approach, free speech will suffer,” X said.