The Online "Safety" Act

 ONLINE "SAFETY" ACT PROTEST SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST

Following unprecedented and worse-than-expected State overreach under the newly enforced provisions of the Online "Safety" Act last week, the Libertarian Party NCC has resolved to reframe our upcoming event as a protest directly opposing the State censorship enabled by this legislation.

To quote Wessex Co-ordinator and newly elected Nominating Officer Ben Allsop in Friday’s article: the Act is “one of the most dangerous attacks on free speech and privacy in modern British history.” Writing just three days ago, Ben warned that the Act would be used to suppress disagreement, discourage protest, and shut down the very essence of a free and open society. Tragically, these predictions have already proven true:

Within hours, content began disappearing from social media — including Katie Lam’s speech in The Commons on grooming gangs. 𝗔𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗣’𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱.

Posts about protests outside illegal migrant hotels were also removed, alongside numerous other pieces deemed “subversive” by Whitehall.

Wikipedia has now begun legal action against the government, as the Act’s “category one” duties require it to identify and verify all volunteer editors. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Meanwhile, age verification is being imposed across major platforms such as Spotify, Reddit, X, Xbox, Bluesky, and Discord. Citizens are forced to submit either a government ID or a facial scan — with their personal data processed by third-party firms, often on overseas servers.

Even Labour List, a pro-government outlet, admitted:

“In just one week, censorship has ranged from the absurd to the deeply troubling. Internet users in the UK trying to access support pages for alcohol addiction or child sexual abuse will now find their way barred. Survivors of sexual assault can no longer freely access advice and support groups on Reddit. Content about the wars in Gaza and Ukraine has similarly been blocked.”

The Act’s impact has not gone unnoticed abroad. During Trump’s visit to Scotland, the US delegation warned of a “chilling impact on real political speech.” Congressman Jim Jordan rightly called the Act what it is: censorship.

As Steven Nekhalia, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee in the US, put it:

“The Online Safety Act is a firewall for the regime, not the people.”

For the moment, this firewall can be bypassed with a VPN. Yet ministers already claim that VPN use “puts children at risk.” 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮, 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻, 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 — 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗣𝗡𝘀, all while MPs charge taxpayers for their own VPN use through parliamentary expenses.

On Saturday, Secretary of State for Censorship Peter Kyle went so far as to suggest that those opposed to the Online "Safety" Act are “on the side of child predators.”

This vile logic is the hallmark of authoritarian regimes past and present: to oppose State censorship is to be branded a criminal.

Britain has crossed the Rubicon. The government now operates as an openly fascist institution.

It is crucial that we mobilise as many people as possible for this protest. The LPUK has reached out to several independent media outlets (excluding, of course, the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation), and some will be covering our gathering.

We will deliver speeches and distribute leaflets for a couple of hours before heading to one of Westminster’s excellent pubs for a well-earned pint. This will also be an opportunity to meet and speak with party members informally, including the NCC and newly elected officers.

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝟭𝗽𝗺

L𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹

Now is the time to stand together. The keyboard warrior has been silenced. Join us, in person, in London on the 23rd.