No 10 has shelved plans to force tech companies to take down fake news amid fears a free speech row could derail trade talks with Donald Trump, according to The Telegraph. Here’s the story:
Downing Street was considering reintroducing proposals to ban “legal but harmful” content on social media – a move that was previously mooted by the Tories – but has now backed away from the idea.
However, ministers are exploring how to toughen up Britain’s internet safety laws so that children are better protected online.
Labour launched a review of the Online Safety Act following last summer’s riots, which were sparked by misinformation about the identity of the Southport attacker.
As part of the review, the Government considered banning “legal but harmful” online material, where tech companies would have been legally obliged to identify and remove such content from their platforms or face huge fines.
The clause was tabled by the Conservatives in 2022 and was met with backlash from the party. Kemi Badenoch, the then business secretary, said it risked “legislating for hurt feelings”.
Free speech advocates also raised fears that the clause, though well-intentioned, could ultimately be used to suppress legitimate political views. Later that year, it was dropped in favour of powers that give adults greater control over the types of content they see online.
The Telegraph understands that Labour is not considering bringing the measure back, but is instead prioritising more protections for children. This includes building on requirements, set to come into force this summer, for websites to carry out age checks to access adult content.
Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, is working on a package of potential measures that could potentially replace the “legal but harmful” ban.
A Whitehall source said: “We are really committed to keeping children safe. Finally, the Online Safety Act is starting to have an impact, and we will see some enforcement action shortly.
“Age assurance will also be a massive step forward when it comes in the summer, but we’re actively exploring other ways of protecting children.
“It’s a challenge facing society as a whole, but there are clearly things that Government can do.”
Any changes to the law are set to be limited to very specific reforms, rather than opening up a whole new debate around online safety rules.
Reintroducing the “legal but harmful” ban would have risked sparking a row with the White House while No 10 is negotiating to have the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump removed.
Senior figures in Mr Trump’s administration, including JD Vance, the vice-president, and Elon Musk, have openly attacked Labour’s record on free speech. In particular, they have criticised police investigating people over social media posts, including Allison Pearson, a columnist for The Telegraph.
Whilst online regulation is not formally part of the trade talks, ministers have been engaged with discussions on the issue with their American counterparts.
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