The leftist British government is scrambling to soften its draconian online censorship laws, fearing it could ignite a trade war with President Donald Trump.
According to The Telegraph, Downing Street is reconsidering the Online Safety Act, a law passed under the previous Tory government in 2023, which hands sweeping powers to Britain’s broadcasting regulator Ofcom to punish American tech companies for failing to censor so-called “harmful” content.
The law allows the UK to fine tech giants up to 10% of their global revenue, criminally charge senior management, and even ban platforms outright—an unprecedented level of government control over free speech.
Trump and Musk Set for Showdown With UK Censors
One of the most vocal critics of Britain’s speech crackdown has been Trump ally and X owner Elon Musk. Musk has called the UK a “tyrannical police state”, slamming its “two-tier justice system” where violent criminals walk free while citizens face prison for social media posts.
Andrew Hale, a trade policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, confirmed that Washington sees the UK’s censorship laws as a major roadblock to a future U.S.-UK trade deal.
“Every meeting I have to discuss trade policy with people either in the administration or in Congress, they always raise that. They say, ‘This is a huge roadblock’,” Hale told The Telegraph.
The UK’s Free Speech Union founder, Lord Young of Acton, warned that Trump will not tolerate British censorship targeting American companies like X and Facebook.
“If Ofcom tries to fine X or Facebook 10% of their global turnover for not removing content that isn’t unlawful, I predict a showdown between Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and the UK government,” Young said.
“If that happens, Trump will side with his tech bros and tell Sir Keir that if he wants a trade deal, he’ll call off his dogs.”
Labour’s Radical Base Clashes With Economic Reality
While Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government may be open to easing speech restrictions to secure a lucrative trade deal with Trump, his radical leftist base in Parliament is hell-bent on expanding censorship.
Labour’s election manifesto last year vowed to “build on the Online Safety Act”, increase social media restrictions, and force tech companies to grant government access to user data.
A Washington Post report revealed that London has secretly demanded Apple build a backdoor for British intelligence into iCloud storage. If Apple complied, it would mean UK authorities could spy on encrypted user data worldwide—a move that would set up a major legal battle with American tech companies.
Conclusion: Trump’s America First Approach Is Already Changing Global Policy
The UK’s rushed backpedal on its Orwellian censorship laws is a clear sign that Trump’s America First stance is already reshaping global trade.
The question now is whether Starmer will cave to economic reality or let his leftist base drag the UK into a pointless fight against American free speech values.
If Trump and Musk have their way, the UK’s Big Brother censorship regime won’t survive much longer.
