Nigel Farage Plans to Repeal Controversial Online Safety Act

Nigel Farage has announced plans to repeal the Online Safety Act if he becomes Prime Minister, a move that has sparked significant debate. The chairman of Reform UK, Zia Yusuf, has described the legislation as “the greatest assault on freedom of speech in our lifetimes.” According to Yusuf, the Act has led to a rise in the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), pushing children toward more hazardous areas of the internet, such as the dark web.

Yusuf criticized the Online Safety Act for creating what he termed a “perverse set of incentives.” He pointed out that social media companies face substantial fines and their executives risk imprisonment if they fail to comply with the law. He remarked, “VPN providers are publishing their stats, increases in signups in the UK up thousands of percent,” suggesting that young people are more savvy about internet use than the lawmakers who created the legislation.

The chairman highlighted recent events, including protests in Leeds against illegal immigration and local migrant accommodations, which he claims have been suppressed online. He further noted that the establishment of a specialized police unit to monitor anti-migrant sentiment reflects a troubling trend toward authoritarianism. “If you look through history, the way countries slip into this sort of authoritarian regime is through legislation that cloaks tyranny inside the warm fuzz of safety and security,” Yusuf stated.

Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party plan to repeal the Online Safety Act, arguing that it fundamentally undermines freedom of expression. Yusuf emphasized their commitment to safeguarding free speech, declaring, “We at Reform think this is the greatest assault on free speech in our lifetimes.”

The Online Safety Act, which came into effect on March 31, 2024, includes new measures requiring approximately 6,000 pornography websites to implement age verification checks. This could involve either facial age estimation or credit card checks to confirm users are over 18. The legislation also affects other platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter.

On the day the law took effect, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle expressed optimism about the changes. He stated, “The Act has taken a long time to come into force, so it means the technology companies themselves have seen this coming for a very long time, and had all that time to prepare.” Kyle added, “Parents and children will experience a different internet really, for the first time moving forward than you’ve had in the past. And that is a big step forward.”

The ongoing discussion surrounding the Online Safety Act reflects broader concerns about balancing the need for online safety with the preservation of individual rights. As the political landscape evolves, the potential repeal of this legislation could have significant implications for free speech and internet governance in the UK.