Police have made over 30 arrests a day over social media posts, according to custody data obtained by The Times. Commenting on this, Jake Hurfurt of Big Brother Watch said: “Police look to be wasting countless hours on arresting people for posting things online that, while offensive, are not illegal. Heavy-handed use of vague communications offences is a threat to everyone’s freedom to express themselves online.
“Police must remember that free speech is a right, and only intervene when absolutely necessary, because needless arrests for social media posts have a chilling effect that will cause the decline of our democratic culture.
“These statistics are seriously concerning and the home secretary should instigate an independent review into police arrests for online speech and the health of free expression in the UK.”
The Times – Police make 30 arrests a day for offensive online messages