X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has criticised the UK’s Online Safety Act, citing unnecessary bureaucracy and a threat to free speech.
In a statement, X criticised the breadth of the law’s enforcement, stating that its “laudable intentions” are at risk of being overridden by regulatory overreach.
“When lawmakers approved these measures, they made a conscientious decision to increase censorship in the name of ‘online safety’,” the company posted on X. “It is fair to ask if UK citizens were equally aware of the trade-off being made.”
X said the rollout has come with “unnecessarily tight” timelines and significant compliance costs. Despite meeting the obligations under the law, the company said it continues to face threats of fines and enforcement, pushing platforms toward “over-censorship.”
The Online Safety Act introduced wide-ranging rules for platforms including X, Meta, YouTube and TikTok as well as pornography sites to enforce age verification and remove harmful and illegal content. While the government maintains the measures are essential to protecting children and users, it has attracted criticism from free-speech activists.
More than 470,000 people have signed a petition calling for the law’s withdrawal, citing privacy concerns as users are required to upload personal data for age verification. However, the government confirmed earlier this week that it has “no plans to repeal” the legislation.
Technology secretary Peter Kyle defended the law in a post on X earlier this week, stating that those opposing the Online Safety Act are “on the side of predators”.
Heavy-handed approach
In its statement, Musk’s platform also flagged concerns about a new National Internet Intelligence Investigations unit established within the British Police to monitor online content for signs of unrest and hate speech, warning it could further curb free speech.
“Instead of specifically and collaboratively addressing a problem everyone agrees needs to be solved”, X stated that regulators have adopted a “heavy-handed approach by rapidly increasing enforcement resources, adding layers of bureaucratic oversight”.
“It’s safe to say that significant changes must take place to achieve these objectives in the UK,” the platform concluded, calling for a balanced approach to ensuring online safety alongside personal liberties and innovation.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: X
