The UK government is planning to destroy all alternative media using the excuse of ‘harmful’ online content or activity

Free speech activists warn that new government legislation is “a frightening and historic attack on freedom of speech”. Aimed at social media companies it will not only decimate free speech but bring in ‘state-backed censorship’ on an unprecedented scale.

The legislation, introduced to parliament on Wednesday, came about following a sustained campaign involving celebrities and sports personalities who have been demanding that big tech companies should be held more accountable in instances of racism and bullying online.

Summit News reports: The ‘Online Safety’ Bill is being introduced with the justification of forcing big tech to be more accountable for ‘harmful’ content on their websites.

However, activists have noted that it will could be used to remove any opinions and content that big tech or the state do not agree with, and could lead to more publishers being permanently banned from platforms.

The legislation gives the government Office of Communications the power to issue fines of up to £18million or 10 per cent of their annual global turnover if that is higher, and to completely block access to platforms.

Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has labelled the legislation “state-backed censorship and monitoring on a scale never seen before in a liberal democracy.”

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