The arrest of Father Ted’s co-creator over social media posts has reignited arguments over what it is best to and should not be allowed to say on-line.
Graham Linehan, who additionally created the Black Books and The IT Crowd comedies, stated on Tuesday he was arrested at Heathrow Airport over posts on X sharing his views on trans rights.
In one in all his posts, Linehan stated: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
X proprietor Elon Musk additionally questioned the priorities of the British police after Linehan’s arrest and has beforehand referred to as Britain a “tyrannical police state”.
Picture:
Graham Linehan was arrested over posts on X sharing his views on trans rights. File pic: PA
So what sort of posts might get you in hassle with the legislation?
The kind of posts most hotly debated within the final 12 months are round hate speech and extremism.
Posts that fire up racial or non secular hatred, promote violence or are deemed hate-motivated harassment are all unlawful.
Hate speech and harassment
Though they have been already outlawed by payments like 1986’s Public Order Act, the On-line Security Act of 2023 gave the authorities stronger pointers and powers when coping with hate speech on-line.
This hit the headlines final 12 months when riots swept the UK within the wake of Axel Rudakubana’s homicide of three younger ladies in Southport.
A whole lot of individuals have been arrested, with a variety of these detained due to their social media posts. Childminder Lucy Connolly was one in all them – she was launched in August after 9 months in jail.
She had pleaded responsible to publishing written materials to fire up racial hatred after the Southport stabbings, posting on X:
“Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the bastards for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.”
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
2:17
Mum jailed for inciting hate in opposition to asylum seekers launched
Extremism and terrorism
There are additionally separate legal guidelines round extremism and terrorism.
You can not share posts that assist organisations like Hamas, Palestine Motion, the far-right group Nationwide Motion or different proscribed teams.
In June, 30-year-old Zakir Hussain was jailed for 5 years and eight months after posting on X in assist of Hamas and Hezbollah within the wake of the 7 October assaults in Israel.
He additionally wrote quite a few antisemitic feedback, together with reward for the actions of Adolf Hitler.
“This case demonstrates, yet again, that we will act when we receive information about social media content that is unlawful,” stated the top of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command on the time.
Libel
Posts that hurt an individual’s or organisation’s fame by making false statements may also get you into hassle – though libel is a civil offence, somewhat than a felony one.
Final 12 months, actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox was ordered to pay £180,000 in damages after he referred to as former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal “paedophiles” on social media.
Picture:
Laurence Fox was ordered to pay damages after labelling two folks “paedophiles” on social media. Pic: PA
Repeating libellous claims can get you in much more hassle and is classed as contempt of courtroom, which additionally covers posts that threat prejudicing courtroom proceedings.
This might contain commenting on anybody concerned in a case from the purpose that somebody is arrested, if it has the potential to affect a jury in a future or ongoing trial.
Those that commit contempt of courtroom might be jailed for as much as two years, fined, or each.
Far-right political activist Tommy Robinson was jailed final 12 months after admitting breaching a 2021 Excessive Courtroom order banning him from repeating false allegations in opposition to a Syrian refugee who efficiently sued him for libel. Mr Robinson was launched in Could.
Picture:
Tommy Robinson was jailed after breaching an order banning him from repeating false allegations. File pic: PA
Encouraging severe self-harm and suicide
Numerous new guidelines have been added to UK legislation by means of the On-line Security Act.
A few of them, like encouraging severe self-harm, have solely not too long ago began being examined in courtroom. In July, 23-year-old Tyler Webb grew to become the primary individual to be sentenced for the offence after he groomed a younger girl into self-harm on-line.
Repeatedly harassing somebody, sending messages with the intent to trigger misery to the recipient or deliberately false messages designed to trigger “non-trivial psychological or physical harm” can also be banned below UK legislation.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
5:23
Why do folks need to repeal the On-line Security Act?
Intimate picture abuse
Guidelines round intimate picture abuse have been additionally strengthened by the act. Cyber-flashing, sending somebody unsolicited intimate footage, and revenge porn, sharing or threatening to share intimate footage with out consent, have been outlawed.
Different severe sexual offences have been round for longer.
Depictions of maximum violence or sexual violence, in addition to youngster sexual abuse materials (CSAM), are all banned.
Sharing CSAM is prohibited even when the fabric is AI-generated, for instance, by means of a “nudifying” app or creating photographs that are not photo-realistic.
Final November, 27-year-old Hugh Nelson was jailed for 18 years after utilizing an AI image generator to show bizarre footage of kids into youngster abuse photographs and promoting them on-line.
