Reform UK Draws a Line Against the Online Safety Act
The clash over digital freedoms in Britain just got louder. Reform UK, stepping up at a July 28, 2025, press conference, delivered a firm message: if they win the next general election, the Online Safety Act is out. They called the Act 'borderline dystopian,' making it clear where they stand on government involvement in what happens online.
Zia Yusuf, the party's former chairman, made the announcement with Nigel Farage beside him—two recognizable faces eager to frame the law as a major threat to free speech. Yusuf told reporters that the Act isn’t just about protecting people from harm online; it’s about who gets to control what people say, share, and see on internet platforms.
Why are they so upset? Reform UK’s leaders argue the Act gives the government—and by extension, big regulators like Ofcom—too much power to police digital content. Their concern is simple: today it’s policing hate speech and misinformation; tomorrow, it might censor genuine political debate or unpopular opinions. They fear the law will chill free expression and spark self-censorship, as users and tech companies err on the side of caution to avoid fines or penalties. These are not just abstract fears. The UK's move toward heavier digital regulation has been drawing fire from activists and politicians who think lawmakers are trading away civil liberties for security.
Political Divide Widens Over Online Regulation
The government, however, isn't backing down. Ministers have doubled down on the Online Safety Act, promising to roll out enforcement measures fast, with Ofcom as digital sheriff. They argue it's necessary to make the internet safer for kids, protect against scams, and clamp down on digital abuse. In their eyes, the law is a fix for out-of-control online harms, not a gateway to censorship.
This fault line isn’t just about left and right. Liberal Reform, another political group, has joined the chorus of skepticism, slamming the Act as just the latest in a series of so-called 'duty of care' laws that end up eating into people’s rights. Their leaders have called out the risk of normalizing government monitoring and filtering of online speech. Across the political spectrum, there’s a growing unease about how far the state should go in shaping digital life—and where to draw the line between safety and freedom.
For Reform UK, the issue is bigger than one law. Their pledge to tear up the Online Safety Act is an attempt to rally voters who see government overreach as a bigger threat than trolls or fake news. It's also a challenge to parties supporting stricter internet controls, forcing them to defend a law that has quickly become a lightning rod in Britain's culture wars over free expression and privacy online.
Across social media, the debate is fierce. Some users say the protections in the Act are long overdue, given the explosion of online scams and abuse. Others warn that the very language meant to keep people safe is vague enough to justify silencing political criticism or awkward conversations.
One thing's for sure: with elections on the horizon and public appetite for digital freedoms running high, calls to repeal the Online Safety Act will keep echoing—no matter who wins at the polls.
