Elon Musk's social media platform X has warned that the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA) risks 'seriously infringing' free speech, escalating a dispute over measures to protect children from harmful content. In a statement, X said the act's 'laudable' intentions were being overshadowed by the 'heavy-handed approach' of regulator Ofcom.
X argued that by passing the OSA, lawmakers made a 'conscientious decision' to increase censorship in the name of online safety, questioning whether UK citizens were aware of the trade-off. The platform claimed the threat of fines—up to 10% of global turnover—could encourage censorship of legitimate content.
The UK government rejected the claims, calling them 'demonstrably false'. A spokesperson said the act places 'clear and unequivocal duties on platforms to protect freedom of expression' alongside child safety obligations, with penalties for failing either.
The row follows new restrictions on under-18s accessing pornography and harmful content, which took effect on 25 July. X has been forced to age-restrict some content, while Reform UK has pledged to repeal the act, prompting a heated exchange between technology secretary Peter Kyle and Nigel Farage.
X also criticised plans for a national internet intelligence investigations team to monitor social media for anti-migrant disorder, saying the proposal 'clearly goes far beyond' safety measures and has 'set off alarm bells for free speech advocates'.
