The second arrest of writer Graham Linehan over online speech has drawn considerable attention to the alarming trend of censorship and authoritarianism in how the UK polices social media.
Big Brother Watch’s Advocacy Manager, Matthew Feeney, notes that it is “deeply worrying” that arrests for online speech are growing “increasingly common” in the UK, saying that “five police officers arresting someone in an airport for offensive social media posts appears to be a disturbing and disproportionate response that should concern everyone who values free speech”.
“Free speech allows us to dissent, yet Labour and Conservative-led governments have embraced an overbearing approach to online content that has repeatedly been shown to stifle free speech”, he added.
Rolling Stone – Graham Linehan’s Second Arrest Fuels Backlash to U.K.’s Online Speech Laws