'Censorship through the back door!' Labour's online safety laws spark blistering free speech row

However, Reform UK has highlighted two sections of the Act which are an "assault on free speech", Section 44 and Section 179.

In a press conference on Monday, Chair of Reform's DOGE Unit Zia Yusuf declared that if Nigel Farage becomes Prime Minister in the next Government, the party will "repeal the Online Safety Act".

Criticising the legislation, Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin told GB News: "This act is nothing more than censorship and surveillance through the back door.

"It's called an online Safety Act, and most people would think that sounds good and sensible, but the fact is, what's hidden in the small print is nothing short of quashing our democratic right to free speech.

"So there's two particular areas of the Act which should be looked at. The first is Section 44, that gives the Secretary of State the right to direct Ofcom what it wants to be censored.

"The second thing that we need to look at is Section 179, which means that social media companies, if they're not policing this act, anything that may cause some kind of mental psychological harm, they will get potentially fined 10 per cent of their global turnover."

In complete disagreement with Pochin, Tatchell argued that the rules of the act do "not inhibit free speech".

He stated: "I can assure you that the Online Safety Act does not in any way inhibit free speech. It is designed to protect online users, particularly children, against harmful and illegal content like pornography, content that may encourage young people to consider suicide or to engage in eating disorders, bullying, harassment, criminal activity like drug use and trafficking.

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'These are the protections it seeks to provide, but it does not inhibit your right to criticise the Government or to say what you want within the law. That's completely exaggerated."

Hitting out at Nigel Farage, Tatchell added: "When Nigel Farage was asked what is your alternative, he didn't have any answers. That's an admission of failure in my view."

Taking aim at the Labour Government, Pochin then stated that they are "allowing children to vote at 16, but restricting their online content".

She told GB News: "We're now finding that under this Labour Government, children have the right to vote from 16, and yet the Government is choosing to restrict content. How can that be? How can that make sense? You can't on the one hand call someone an adult and on the other hand, restrict their content.

"We know how capable, how savvy, how technical these kids are these days. We've heard already today about how VPNs are on the up. The kids know how to get round it and all this act will do is direct our children onto the dark web where they will see and read far more damaging content."

Defending the act further, Tatchell hit back: "I appreciate concerns about free speech, and as a champion of free speech, including the free speech of people I disagree with, I'd be very concerned if this act was inhibiting free speech, but it's not.

"But that's what not what this Online Safety Act is about, this is about protecting young kids against grooming and sexual abuse. It's about ensuring that children not accidentally stumble across extreme pornography. I think all parents want their children protected against that."

He concluded: "The Government is right, we don't want young kids being encouraged to go to suicide websites and reading about eating disorders."