Aug 21, 2024 | The UK has become a posterboy for the perils of censorship. In the wake of the recent race riots, the British state has set about arresting and jailing not just the rioters, but also those who posted hateful memes or spread misinformation during the unrest. Anglophiles looked on aghast, as this once liberty-loving nation appeared to suddenly fall to authoritarianism. The depressing truth, however, is that this was a very long time coming. Here, Tom Slater lifts the lid on the UK’s decades-long experiment with policing speech. Being arrested for posting something offensive online has been alarmingly normal for some time now. And the bar for censorship is only getting lower and lower. Britain is a warning to genuine liberals the world over. Censorship is poison. Never, ever let it in.
