In a bold move that has raised alarms about free speech, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has proposed a framework for regulating the internet, citing concerns over misinformation and its impact on democracy. Speaking on LBC Radio, Blair emphasized the need for global cooperation to establish rules governing social media content, especially in the wake of recent riots linked to anti-open borders sentiments in the UK. As calls for tighter restrictions increase, questions arise about the balance between ensuring safety and preserving freedom of expression in an increasingly polarized environment.
Blair, who’s WEF-aligned Labour Party has imposed some of the harshest free speech crackdowns in modern British history in the wake of the anti-open borders riots that swept the UK out last month, told LBC Radio this week that “rules” are needed to determine what information is allowed on social media.
“The world is going to have to come together and agree on
some rules around social media platforms,” Blair warned.
'It's really messing with their minds in a big way.'
— LBC (@LBC) September 6, 2024
Asked by @mrjamesob if other countries will follow Brazil's lead in tackling social media disinformation, Tony Blair notes its impact on young people and stresses that 'we can't go on like this'. pic.twitter.com/KiClKz53q4
Infowars.com reports: “It’s not just how people can provoke hostility and hatred but I think… the impact on young people particularly when they’ve got access to mobile phones very young and they are reading a whole lot of stuff and receiving a whole lot of stuff that I think is really messing with their minds in a big way.”
“I’m not sure what the answer is but I’m sure we need to find one,” he added.
Left-wing Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle earlier this week also called for the government to impose more restrictions on online free speech.
“Misinformation is dangerous,” Hoyle said. “Social media is good but its also bad when people are using it in a way that could cause a riot, threat, intimidation, suggesting that we should attack somebody, it’s not acceptable.”
“What we’ve got to do is factually correct what’s up there, if not I think the government has to think long and hard about what they are going to do about social media and what are they going to put through parliament as a bill.”
“I believe it should be across, it doesn’t matter what country you are in, the fact is that misinformation is dangerous and no misinformation, or threats, or intimidation should be allowed to be carred out on social media platforms,” Hoyle added.
The Free Speech Union wrote in response that it is “concerning to hear the Speaker of the Commons lumping ‘misinformation’ in with ‘incitement, threats and intimidation’ while talking up the need for greater cross-border censorship. Given that all statements of fact or opinion are provisional, who gets to define ‘misinformation’, and when?”
This comes as the British government, led by PM Keir Starmer, in recent weeks have been jailing citizens over their social media posts speaking out against open borders and violent crimes committed by migrants.
