Social media companies are having to either censor lawful content or pay severe fines under the Online Safety Act. Civil liberties campaigners have warned that the laws will impact “everyone’s right to free speech”.
The age verification measures under the Act have received public backlash. In the short time since these measures came into force, various pieces of content have been blocked across social media platforms. Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch’s interim director Rebecca Vincent said: “Online censorship is rapidly on the rise and we’re now in a ludicrous situation where all UK internet users only have access to a childproofed version of the web unless we’re willing to undergo intrusive age verification processes.” She added, “unfortunately JD Vance is right when he says free speech in Britain is in retreat.”
The Telegraph – Social media giants face fines for curbing free speech