Left-wing politicians in the UK have begun calling for new restrictions on online speech, following a crackdown on so-called “keyboard warriors” over social media posts linked to recent anti-immigration riots.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose neoliberal Labour government enacted some of the toughest speech laws in modern British history, has joined a chorus of critics calling for a new crackdown on social media.
“The world is going to need to come together and agree some rules for social media platforms,” Blair said in an interview with LBC radio this week.
“It's not just a matter of people stirring up hostility and hatred, but I think the impact on young people is huge, especially with access to mobile phones at a young age and reading and receiving so much, it's really messing with their minds.”
“I don't know what the answers are, but I do know we need to find the answers.”
Blair is not the only one to call for new restrictions on social media: earlier this week the left-wing Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Lindsay Hoyle, also said the Government should consider new restrictions on online speech.
“Misinformation is dangerous,” says Hoyle said“Social media is a good thing, but using it in a way that incites violence, intimidation, threats or suggests that anyone should be attacked is not good. That is not acceptable.”
“What we need to do is get the facts straight and, if not, I think the government needs to think long and hard about what they're going to do about social media and what legislation they're going to pass through Parliament.”
“I believe that no matter where you are in the world, people should understand that misinformation is dangerous and that misinformation, threats and intimidation have no place on social media platforms.”
Responding to Mr Hoyle's comments, the Free Speech Union Written “It is concerning that the Speaker is lumping 'misinformation' with 'incitement, threats and intimidation' while calling for increased cross-border censorship. All statements of fact and opinion are provisional, so who defines 'misinformation' and when?”
