The UK government on Saturday defended its newly implemented online safety legislation, rejecting claims by social media platform X that it “compromises free speech,” describing such assertions as “demonstrably false.”
The Online Safety Act, which came into force on July 25, mandates digital platforms to restrict children’s access to harmful content, including pornography.
However, X, formerly known as Twitter, criticized the law on Friday, warning that “the act’s laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach.”
The platform further stated that “without a more balanced, collaborative approach, free speech will suffer,” accusing regulators of employing a “heavy-handed approach.”
“When lawmakers approved these measures, they made a conscientious decision to increase censorship in the name of ‘online safety’,” the company, owned by Elon Musk, added.
In response, a government spokesperson refuted the concerns, asserting that it is “demonstrably false that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech.”
The spokesperson emphasized that, alongside legal obligations to protect children, “the very same law places clear and unequivocal duties on platforms to protect freedom of expression.”
The government clarified that the legislation “does not require platforms to age gate any content other than those which present the most serious risks to children such as pornography or suicide and self-harm content,” adding that “platforms have had several months to prepare.”
Under the law, non-compliant platforms face penalties of up to £18 million ($24 million) or 10 percent of their global revenue, whichever is greater.