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We Have Ways of Making You… Not Talk

by Toby Young
17 March 2022 9:45 AM

In my Spectator column this week I’ve written about the Online Safety Bill, the latest version of which was published today. For those not up to speed, the aim of the Bill (in the words of Nadine Dorries) is “to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online”, i.e., turn the internet into a safe space.

Should you be concerned about it? Yes, obviously, but perhaps not for the reasons you think. The real issue with the Bill is not that it will make the big social media companies remove posts that are currently permissible – although it will, since the Government is going to force them to take down what it calls “legal but harmful” content, so stuff you’re able to say offline will become prohibited online. No, the bigger problem is that it doesn’t do nearly enough to force YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the rest not to wield their red pens. It’s a missed opportunity.

Many of my fellow free speech warriors see this Bill as an attempt by po-faced Lord Chamberlain-types to rein in the libertarian excesses of the worldwide web – and Conservative MPs often frame it in this way, too, believing the public wants them to ‘get tough’ with out-of-control social media giants.

But the days when Twitter described itself as “the free speech wing of the free speech party” are long gone. Facebook removed 26.9 million pieces of content for violating its “community standards” on “hate speech” in the last quarter of 2020, 17 times as many as the 1.6 million instances of ‘hate speech’ it deleted in the last quarter of 2017. The real problem with this bill is that it doesn’t do enough to check the already rampant censoriousness of Big Tech. Twitter is more like the authoritarian wing of the Democratic party.

The bill contains little to stop these companies pledging to remove scads of “legal but harmful” content in their terms and conditions – as they do at present – save for some wishy-washy provisions about the need to “take into account” freedom of expression when deciding whether to remove “content of democratic importance” and “journalistic content” and to “have regard” for free speech. To understand how ineffective these clauses are likely to be, think of the different legal duties included in the bill as being like football teams. The duty to remove “content that is harmful to adults” is Manchester City. The need to “take into account” and “have regard” for freedom of expression is Plymouth Argyle.

Worth reading in full.

Stop Press: Jennifer Powers, the Legislative Affairs Director of the Free Speech Union, has written a good piece for UnHerd about the way the Online Safety Bill will be used to muzzle feminists defending sex-based women’s rights.

Tags: CensorshipLegal But HarmfulNadine DorriesOnline Safety Bill

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65 Comments
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wokeman
wokeman
1 year ago

I’m not shedding tears over Pfizer but it’s the state that imposed all this.

62
0
Grahamb
Grahamb
1 year ago

I am sure that separation is going to be relevant in the future when it starts to get messy.

50
0
Sforzesca
Sforzesca
1 year ago

I’ve no idea but I’m pretty sure that the lawyers involved have considered all available options at this stage.
Just remember that it took 40 years to nail bigtobacco and with the advent of social media nailing bigpharma should be easier.

US law is both the world’s worst and best, but if anyone is going to eventually nail the bastards it will be their civil PI lawyers who are doubtless watching and sharpening their knives.

Sadly there’s very little chance of similar happening in the UK – can you imagine the CPS moving on this? Also no insurers would indemnify claims, and as for Legal Aid Board funding. Lol.

Still, as the dead and the broken bodies keep piling up one never knows.

53
-1
Baldrick
Baldrick
1 year ago

Woops! Must be another one of those ‘cock-ups’ that keep on being implemented!

28
-2
transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 year ago

Interesting

Perhaps it’s more awkward to sue foreign companies, especially if they have close ties to foreign governments

22
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  transmissionofflame

Well as sure as eggs are eggs some seriously big names must be linked to BioNTech. To name but a few, let’s see, Biden, Billy, Fishy, Fond of Lying, Bourla, Farrar and his gang, our communist Michie, Whitless and Unbalanced, probably Fink, doubtless Bliar.

Who have I missed?

42
0
JohnK
JohnK
1 year ago

It’s interesting, but the lawyers won’t be doing it for nothing. A cynic might observe that civil suits are perhaps more common in American states than here, or in Germany, and maybe the courts are more amenable that way, compared with an attempted suit in Germany.

13
0
ElaineH
ElaineH
1 year ago

If my memory serves me correct. The sale of goods act entitles the consumer to have redress from the retailer not the manufacturer. Pfizer are big enough to take a hit on multimillion pounds of damages and fraud claims. But also so are BioNtech. The sooner the better all those responsible including politicians are held to account. I mean criminal sentences as well.

18
0
bertieboy
bertieboy
1 year ago

My local paper carried a full page advertisement the other day for a cv booster. My wife mentioned to me that these ‘interventions’ were authorised for emergency use and not licensed for regular use. Wondering if we’d missed something and whether we’re actually still in a state of emergency. Just a thought.

Last edited 1 year ago by bertieboy
16
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  bertieboy

Well something is missing. Who has authorised these injections for ordinary use because they sure as hell are definitely not ‘safe and effective.’

And when is Ivermectin going back on the shelves?

15
0

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