Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said last week she expected Ofcom to move quickly on the issue, and that the regulator would have her “full support” to block access to X in the U.K. if the platform refused to comply with the law.
Other parties want Ofcom to move faster, or get out of the way: last week the Liberal Democrats urged the National Crime Agency to take charge (arguing the situation went well beyond Ofcom’s remit as communications watchdog) and said Ofcom should block X from operating in the U.K. while a full investigation takes place. “We cannot wait for a far off verdict,” the Liberal Democrats’ tech spokesperson Victoria Collins said in a statement.
But Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s poll-topping Reform UK Party, struck a markedly different tone Monday.
Accusing the Labour government of “suppression of free speech,” he added: “Nothing from the current set of regulators in government would surprise me when it comes to the suppression of free speech. Do we like and welcome the particular feature on Grok that has made the news over the weekend? No, but let’s talk to Grok.
“They’ve already made one or two steps in our direction. My fear is we’ll end up suppressing Grok and further suppressing free speech, and we do not want to do that.”
Dan Bloom contributed reporting.
