A report by the campaign group Big Brother Watch has revealed that over 60,000 individuals in the UK have been arrested in the past five years for "communications offences," sparking concerns about the zealous policing of online speech and its impact on free expression. The report, set to be published this week, describes the situation as an "Orwellian mess" that has a "chilling effect" on public discourse.
According to the findings, at least 62,199 people were arrested for such offenses between 2021 and 2026. Of those arrested, 18,510 were charged, and 12,292 were convicted. While campaigners acknowledge that some arrests may be justified, such as in cases of domestic abuse threats, they argue that the broad scope of current legislation has led to overzealous policing of everyday online communications.
The report highlights inconsistencies in enforcement, with some police forces making significantly more arrests for these offenses than others. For instance, Cumbria Police reportedly arrested 25.7 individuals per 10,000 people over five years, approximately 2.5 times the national average, while neighboring Northumbria made only 1.9 arrests per 10,000. Big Brother Watch attributes these disparities to the "elasticity of vaguely defined speech offences" within laws like the Online Safety Act.
Examples cited in the report illustrate the extent of the policing. West Midlands Police reportedly visited the home of a teenage girl to question her about a TikTok post featuring a teacher's image with negative comments. Although the girl had not created, shared, or commented on the video, she was pressured to hand over her devices or face arrest. The investigation concluded with no further action taken against the child, though the force defended its actions as an "investigating alleged malicious communications offences."
In another case, Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen were arrested and held for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after complaining about their daughter's primary school in a WhatsApp group chat. They later received £20,000 in damages after public outcry. CCTV footage showed six uniformed officers arriving at their home.
Separately, Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire following riots in Southport in July 2024. Connolly, the wife of a Conservative councilor, made the post on social media.
Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, criticized the focus on policing online activity, stating, "Why are the authorities spending so much time policing our tweets when they could be policing our streets?" He noted that rising rates of theft and other crimes contrast with police attention to "thought criminals," suggesting that the high number of arrests with low conviction rates discourages open expression.
Big Brother Watch reports that vaguely defined speech offenses have also led to the restriction or age-gating of online discussions on diverse topics, including political parties, British history, and even art. The group is calling for an independent national review of laws affecting freedom of speech in the UK to "restore Britain's free speech laws and culture."
Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, urged the government to address public concerns about speech policing, stating, "There is mounting concern among the public that speech policing is out of control in Britain and it's long overdue that the government takes action." She called for an independent review of laws and police training related to speech to rectify the "Orwellian mess."