BitChute, the pro-free speech alternative to YouTube, has decided to stop operating in the UK for fear of being censured – and fined – by Ofcom, following the regulator’s acquisition of sweeping new powers under the Online Safety Act. No doubt BitChute will be the first of many American social media companies to stop offering their services in the UK as a result of the Online Safety Act. Since March 17th, Ofcom can fine social media companies up to 10% of their annual global turnover if they fail to comply with the Act. A dark day for freedom of speech.
BitChute has published the following statement on its website:
To our valued users in the United Kingdom
After careful review and ongoing evaluation of the regulatory landscape in the United Kingdom, we regret to inform you that BitChute will be discontinuing its video sharing service for UK residents.
The introduction of the UK Online Safety Act of 2023 has brought about significant changes in the regulatory framework governing online content and community interactions. Notably, the Act contains sweeping provisions and onerous corrective measures with respect to content moderation and enforcement. In particular, the broad enforcement powers granted to the regulator of communication services, Ofcom, have raised concerns regarding the open-ended and unpredictable nature of regulatory compliance for our platform.
The BitChute platform has always operated on principles of freedom of speech, expression and association, and strived to foster an open and inclusive environment for content creators and audiences alike. However, the evolving regulatory pressures—including strict enforcement mechanisms and potential liabilities—have created an operational landscape in which continuing to serve the UK market exposes our company to unacceptable legal and compliance risks. Despite our best efforts to navigate these challenges, the uncertainty surrounding the OSA’s enforcement by Ofcom and its far-reaching implications leaves us no viable alternative but to cease normal operations in the UK.
Therefore, effective immediately, BitChute platform users in the UK will no longer be available to view content produced by any other BitChute user. Because the OSA’s primary concern is that members of the public will view content deemed unsafe, however, we will permit UK BitChute users to continue to post content. The significant change will be that this UK user-posted content will not be viewable by any other UK user, but will be visible to other users outside of the UK. Users outside the UK may comment on that content, which the creator will continue to be able to read, delete, block, reply and flag. Users outside the UK may share UK-user produced content to other users outside of the UK as normal. In other words, for users in the UK, including content creators, the BitChute platform is no longer a user-to-UK user video sharing service.
We deeply regret the inconvenience and disappointment this decision may cause to our UK users and partners. This decision was not taken lightly. It reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of compliance, protecting our community, and ensuring that our platform remains a safe and sustainable space for creative expression globally. We recognize the value of our UK community and extend our sincerest apologies for the disruption caused by this necessary step. Our support team remains available to answer any queries or concerns regarding this transition.
We appreciate the support and engagement of our community around the world and remain dedicated to providing a platform that champions free expression and innovative content sharing in an environment of regulatory certainty.
Thank you for your understanding.
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Pop into your local, except that you won’t be allowed inside. Be tracked, traced, poked, prodded, muzzled, distanced, frozen, and probably overcharged.
Freedom.
Not.
Kafkaesque
Meanwhile, Fuerher Fauci says, “Nein!” to indoor dining, even after the jab:
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2021/04/11/fauci-its-still-not-ok-to-eat-or-drink-indoors-even-if-youre-vaccinated/
Not celebrating unless and until all of these places open fully and unconditionally on the same basis as 2019 and every last piece of coronapanic legislation and guidance is rescinded, never to be used again.
And those responsible punished by law.
what has happened to Bernician’s private prosecution – seems to have gone awfully quiet on that front which is a shame
Anyone would think we’d just defeated Nazi Germany when in reality the Nazi’s appear to have won and nobody noticed !!!
I won’t be freezing my tits off to help prop up businesses which are gearing up to allow Heir Johnson exclude me from wider ‘society’.
Numb to it all by now as it’s obvious once you land on planet Covid there’s no getting off. I’m sure i’ll be at the sharp end to begin with but the plebs with the passports will get theirs eventualy, i’m pretty damned sure about it.
I take it that headline is satire? But the way the vacc. celebration is going in these pages, I’m not sure.
I went to my local for lunch, indeed it was freezing despite the blankets provided. However, no nagging, no taking details, and though there was a laminated card with the track and trace baloney on the table, no mention of it by any staff. And a huge warm building a few feet away where we would have been more spread out than in a supermarket.
Exactly matches my experience at an independent city centre restaurant. They could not have cared less about track and trace. A good sign.
All about the control
Well, as long as “police are satisfied with the situation.”
Exactly – so sinister. WHO CARES WHAT THE F*****G POLICE THINK!!!
“Yeah we just check your phones are reigstered to Track and Terrorise by making a quick call to the police, then we just lock them in the ‘covid safe’ while you have the time of your life being filmed by our facial recognition enabled CCTV and surveilled by the Security and the Covid Police going from pub to pub, plus all the undercover police surveilling and checking no guys are hitting on women, and then once you’ve had your fun, speak to one of our oxygen-starved masked members of staff who will give you your phones back and then don’t forget to rate us online to confirm that everything, including the atmosphere has been sanitised”
…..”So if you want to just stand in the cubicle on your way in and I’ll give you a quick spray with the solution to make sure you and the family and all the guests are all nice and safe.”
Coventry City Council can go f*** themselves.
These jobsworths are going to be a problem. Most have been on full pay and pension and given power that makes them feel they are worthy. They will not give this up lightly.
In Ceredigion we have a Committee of ignorant nincompoops who call themselves “Gold Command” FFS! Talk about self agrandisement.
Pretty much said all of the collective comments being made here to a neighbour yesterday when he asked if I’d be going to the pub. He smiled and shook his head as if I was off my trolley. So I’m afraid it’s yet another brick in the wall in which me and my fellow man have parted ways.
‘BBC News has the story’?? If its come from the BBC I don’t believe a word of it…
And Tesco’s FFS? Don’t get me started. What’s going on at LS? Shouldn’t you at least include a disclaimer when publishing anything ‘put out’ by the BBC?
couldn’t agree more – the Tesco branding almost made me want to vomit.
“Excludes Scotland, NI and Wales”
Because the scum in charge there are even more fascist than the scum in charge of England
Like you wouldn’t believe – only with even fewer brain cells. Probably waiting for permission from Boris.