Commenting on Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, Matthew Lesh, Head of Public Policy at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

“Elon Musk purchasing Twitter could prove a victory for freedom — signalling the platform’s rebirth as a space for the free exchange of ideas.

“But Elon’s free speech vision will run into an immediate roadblock in the United Kingdom. The Online Safety Bill will mandate platforms to proactively monitor user content and encourage censorship.

“Companies will be required to remove anything that could potentially be illegal, from ‘hate speech’ to emotionally distressing content — under the threat of multibillion pound fines. This will empower the easily offended and malicious actors to push for removal of speech.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Contact: Emily Carver, Head of Media, 07715 942 731

IEA spokespeople are available for interview and further comment.

Further IEA reading: In harm’s way: Why online safety regulation needs an Independent Reviewer, by Mikolaj Barczentwicz and Matthew Lesh