Google blasts Labour over Online Safety Act as US warns Britain is on a ‘dark path’ for free speech

Google has become the latest American tech giant to accuse the UK Labour government of stifling free speech online, in a growing transatlantic row that is placing Labour at odds with Washington.

The US multinational has warned that new proposals linked to the Online Safety Act risk undermining freedom of expression, adding to fierce criticism from senior American politicians and technology firms who say Britain is drifting towards censorship.

The intervention piles pressure on Keir Starmer’s Labour government, which is now responsible for implementing the controversial law, despite repeated assurances that free speech would be protected.

At the centre of the dispute is the role of Ofcom, the Act’s regulator, which is planning to stop posts containing “potentially illegal material” from going viral before they are reviewed by moderators.

Google has said the proposals, which would require technology companies to detect and suppress such material, could go far beyond what Parliament intended.

In a formal response, the company warned that the measures would “necessarily result in legal content being made less likely to be encountered by users, impacting users’ freedom of expression, beyond what the [Online Safety] Act intended”.

It also said Ofcom’s plans “appear to introduce a new category of ‘potentially’ illegal content that was not intended by Parliament to be captured”.

Under current guidance, Ofcom can fine companies up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global annual turnover, whichever is greater, for failing to comply with requirements to remove illegal material.

The regulator has already fined US based messaging platform 4chan £20,000 for refusing to hand over information about the risks of illegal content on its site, a penalty the company is refusing to pay.

The fine followed a legal challenge from Kiwi Farms, another American social media platform, which filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop Ofcom enforcing the Online Safety Act against US firms.

The growing backlash from across the Atlantic has been led by senior figures in American politics. Earlier this year, Vice President JD Vance accused Britain of heading down a “dark path” when speaking about online speech restrictions.

During a visit to the Oval Office, he also took aim directly at the Prime Minister, saying: “There have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British, of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them, but also affect American technology companies.”

Elon Musk, the owner of X, has repeatedly warned that “free speech will suffer” under the UK’s rules, while claiming during last summer’s riots that the country was at risk of “civil war”.

The unrest followed the Southport killings in the summer of 2024, after which Ofcom cited a surge in hate fuelled content spreading rapidly online as justification for tighter controls on recommender systems such as news feeds.

Ofcom now wants platforms to prevent “potentially illegal” posts from being promoted by algorithms until they have been reviewed, arguing that unchecked viral content can cause widespread harm during crises.

However, critics say Labour is quietly expanding censorship by the back door, reviving the bitter arguments over so called “legal but harmful” content that dogged the Act’s passage through Parliament in 2023.

Those original plans were watered down after a revolt by MPs, with the legislation instead focusing on child protection and clearly defined illegal material.

Despite this, accusations of overreach have continued. Shadow Home Office Minister Katie Lam MP recently had a clip of her speech in Parliament on the grooming gangs scandal censored on X under the Act’s provisions. In a further irony, a new Spiked documentary examining online censorship was itself restricted online.

The row has now begun to damage wider UK US relations. This month, the White House suspended talks over a £31 billion technology prosperity deal, amid frustration over Britain’s approach to online regulation.

There is also growing anger in Washington over comments from Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who suggested that AI chatbots such as ChatGPT could be brought within the scope of the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom has rejected claims that it is forcing platforms to censor lawful speech. A spokesman said there was “nothing in our proposals that would require sites and apps to take down legal content”, adding that the Act requires companies to have particular regard to freedom of expression.

“If illegal content spreads rapidly online, it can lead to severe and widespread harm, especially during a crisis,” the spokesman said. “Recommender systems can exacerbate this.”

But critics say Labour is ignoring the obvious risk, that in trying to police what might be illegal, vast amounts of lawful speech will simply be buried or silenced.

What was once sold as domestic legislation is now threatening to clash with the First Amendment rights of US citizens, setting Britain on a collision course with its closest ally.

Read more in The Telegraph.