5 ms·

It is happening, in spite many won't really deeply believe. Every day 33 brits are arrested for what they say online. It's happening, and it's time we say no.

by lez 10mo ago

It is happening, in spite many won't really deeply believe. Every day 33 brits are arrested for what they say online. It's happening, and it's time we say no. It's uncomfortable, but we need to do it en masse, right now. Do not buy backdoored hardware, help others get rid of the backdoors, use anonymous technology to organize protests. There has to be a line.

logram-llc 10mo ago
Do you have a source for the Brits being arrested?
- calvinmorrison 10mo ago
  A Liberty GB spokesman said: "Mr Weston was standing on the steps of Winchester Guildhall, addressing the passers-by in the street with a megaphone. "He quoted an excerpt about Islam from the book The River War by Winston Churchill. "Reportedly, a woman came out of the Guildhall and asked Mr Weston if he had the authorisation to make this speech. "When he answered that he didn't, she told him: 'It's disgusting', and then called the police. "Six or seven officers arrived. They talked with the people standing nearby, asking questions about what had happened. "The police had a long discussion with Mr Weston, lasting about 40 minutes. "At about 3pm he was arrested. They searched him, put him in a police van and took him away."
  - rpcope1 10mo ago
    You got a loiscence for that speech? If even half of that is true, I can't fathom why someone would willingly live in that total shithole of a country.
    - calvinmorrison 10mo ago
      willingly live in their homeland? yeah i don't know either bro
- guywithahat 10mo ago
  I'm not OP but a quick yandex search (google isn't great for conservative news) suggests ~12k people were arrested last year for speech. https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/world-news/uk-free-speech-struggle-30-arrests-a-day-censorship/ https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/world-news/uk-free-speech-stru... This article says 10k https://www.zerohedge.com/political/britains-speech-gulag-exposed-10000-arrested-last-year-social-media-posts https://www.zerohedge.com/political/britains-speech-gulag-ex... More broadly it's been a huge issue for a while, tons of articles come out of the UK for people being arrested for criticizing politicians/policies. Even more dystopian is it's hard to report on, because the police might come after you for talking about it. Germany is having similar issues, it's easy to forget most of the world (including Europe) doesn't have free speech
- dietr1ch 10mo ago
  Brits get arrested for even supporting peace, I don't feel I need to verify this claim. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRkQRFdjWMm/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DRkQRFdjWMm/
- theglenn88_ 10mo ago
  This is probably one of the best ones https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo Edit: I believe they are now getting compensation for a 'wrongful arrest' which, sounds entirely deserved.
  - phatfish 10mo ago
    I don't know. You can bet these people were being obnoxious sh*ts to teachers and trying to rally some online mob to get their way. No much sympathy from me, even if arrest (and not a stern telling off and being told to set a good example for their kids and behave like adults) was a bit much.
    - theglenn88_ 10mo ago
      Yeah I can imagine, I know the sort, however you can't really assume that as you don't know them, people have a right to be upset if their children's education is at stake and in some cases the schools management can be the 'obnoxious sh*ts'. What is clear though is there has been some abuse of power by the police. I wondered if someone at the school 'knows' someone in the police, which made it go so far.
Kelteseth 10mo ago
I didn't find any context for your claim so here is some reddit comment: So it’s true 3,300 people were arrested for posts online. What they don’t tell you are the statistics or context. The actual law for these arrests covers EVERYTHING online. These arrests include those arrested for terrorism (if the planning/act of terror includes any online communication in the UK), threats of violence, racist abuse, hate speech and unwanted communication (including sending unsolicited sexual photos to strangers). It also includes spreading false information that could cause harm or affect an ingoing investigation. If you look at convictions, only 137 people were actually sentenced in 2024. https://www.reddit.com/r/DebunkThis/comments/1mmux6r/comment/n82xzxp/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://www.reddit.com/r/DebunkThis/comments/1mmux6r/comment...
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- more_corn 10mo ago
  It also includes traveling to the United States where gun ownership is legal, and posting a picture of yourself holding a gun.
  - Aurornis 10mo ago
    This comment is getting downvoted, but another comment provide a real source for this having happened to someone: https://archive.is/bH56T https://archive.is/bH56T
  - jeroenhd 10mo ago
    ... following a police complaint about stalking, against a man involved in a business dispute, seemingly among other things. He may be innocent, but there's more to the story than the picture of the gun.
- aydyn 10mo ago
Angostura 10mo ago
Is it your view that no-one should ever be arrested for anything they say, in any context? > There has to be a line. Where do you draw the line?
- theglenn88_ 10mo ago
  I'd like to think that we all agree that you would be arrested for saying things in person (hate crimes, etc) would be the same things you'd be arrested for saying online... i'd place the line about there. However, there are cases which do cross the line... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo
  - happyopossum 10mo ago
    > we all agree that you would be arrested for saying things in person (hate crimes, etc) would be the same things you'd be arrested for saying online.. And that’s where you’d be wrong - lots of us belief that speech should not be a cause for arrest except in the most extreme circumstances. Hurting someone’s feelings is not that
    - theglenn88_ 10mo ago
      > And that’s where you’d be wrong - lots of us belief that speech should not be a cause for arrest except in the most extreme circumstances. Hurting someone’s feelings is not that what is an extreme circumstance? At least in the UK, hate speech is a crime and is punishable by law, whether people agree or disagree is irrelevant, I do believe that if it's illegal on the street it should be illegal online, obviously in the relevant jurisdiction.
tokai 10mo ago
UK has been self destructing for a looong time now. While things aren't great globally for free speech and privacy, I don't think pointing to UK as an example for anything makes sense. They have been on their path for many decades.
doctorpangloss 10mo ago
the lowest resistance solution to e.g. cheating at school using ChatGPT will be spyware on kids' devices. while nobody should be arrested for speech online, here on hacker news, people are downvoted for saying something unpopular (as opposed to whatever, i don't even know what the criteria is, but maybe it should be "toxic") all the time. you are preaching to the wrong audience, not the choir.
Waterluvian 10mo ago
The price of freedom will only go up. People can’t help but wait to buy at the last minute when it costs an arm and a leg.
markdown 10mo ago
I've seen what's said online these days. Open racism and bigotry. This has always been the case but now it's done without shame by prominent people and influencers using their real account. Twitter is as bad as Stormfront these days. We absolutely need to police hate speech. > There has to be a line. There is no line at all these days, with open hatred displayed. Fascism is on the rise across the world off the back of the hatred that's produced on social media. > Every day 33 brits are arrested for what they say online. They must be giving them tea and crumpets before releasing them to generate more hate online because it clearly isn't working.

by lez 10mo ago

logram-llc 10mo ago

Do you have a source for the Brits being arrested?

calvinmorrison 10mo ago
A Liberty GB spokesman said: "Mr Weston was standing on the steps of Winchester Guildhall, addressing the passers-by in the street with a megaphone. "He quoted an excerpt about Islam from the book The River War by Winston Churchill. "Reportedly, a woman came out of the Guildhall and asked Mr Weston if he had the authorisation to make this speech. "When he answered that he didn't, she told him: 'It's disgusting', and then called the police. "Six or seven officers arrived. They talked with the people standing nearby, asking questions about what had happened. "The police had a long discussion with Mr Weston, lasting about 40 minutes. "At about 3pm he was arrested. They searched him, put him in a police van and took him away."
- rpcope1 10mo ago
  You got a loiscence for that speech? If even half of that is true, I can't fathom why someone would willingly live in that total shithole of a country.
  - calvinmorrison 10mo ago
    willingly live in their homeland? yeah i don't know either bro
guywithahat 10mo ago
I'm not OP but a quick yandex search (google isn't great for conservative news) suggests ~12k people were arrested last year for speech. https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/world-news/uk-free-speech-struggle-30-arrests-a-day-censorship/ https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/world-news/uk-free-speech-stru... This article says 10k https://www.zerohedge.com/political/britains-speech-gulag-exposed-10000-arrested-last-year-social-media-posts https://www.zerohedge.com/political/britains-speech-gulag-ex... More broadly it's been a huge issue for a while, tons of articles come out of the UK for people being arrested for criticizing politicians/policies. Even more dystopian is it's hard to report on, because the police might come after you for talking about it. Germany is having similar issues, it's easy to forget most of the world (including Europe) doesn't have free speech
dietr1ch 10mo ago
Brits get arrested for even supporting peace, I don't feel I need to verify this claim. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRkQRFdjWMm/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DRkQRFdjWMm/
theglenn88_ 10mo ago
This is probably one of the best ones https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo Edit: I believe they are now getting compensation for a 'wrongful arrest' which, sounds entirely deserved.
- phatfish 10mo ago
  I don't know. You can bet these people were being obnoxious sh*ts to teachers and trying to rally some online mob to get their way. No much sympathy from me, even if arrest (and not a stern telling off and being told to set a good example for their kids and behave like adults) was a bit much.
  - theglenn88_ 10mo ago
    Yeah I can imagine, I know the sort, however you can't really assume that as you don't know them, people have a right to be upset if their children's education is at stake and in some cases the schools management can be the 'obnoxious sh*ts'. What is clear though is there has been some abuse of power by the police. I wondered if someone at the school 'knows' someone in the police, which made it go so far.

Kelteseth 10mo ago

I didn't find any context for your claim so here is some reddit comment: So it’s true 3,300 people were arrested for posts online. What they don’t tell you are the statistics or context. The actual law for these arrests covers EVERYTHING online. These arrests include those arrested for terrorism (if the planning/act of terror includes any online communication in the UK), threats of violence, racist abuse, hate speech and unwanted communication (including sending unsolicited sexual photos to strangers). It also includes spreading false information that could cause harm or affect an ingoing investigation. If you look at convictions, only 137 people were actually sentenced in 2024. https://www.reddit.com/r/DebunkThis/comments/1mmux6r/comment/n82xzxp/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://www.reddit.com/r/DebunkThis/comments/1mmux6r/comment...

deleted 10mo ago
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deleted 10mo ago
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more_corn 10mo ago
It also includes traveling to the United States where gun ownership is legal, and posting a picture of yourself holding a gun.
- Aurornis 10mo ago
  This comment is getting downvoted, but another comment provide a real source for this having happened to someone: https://archive.is/bH56T https://archive.is/bH56T
- jeroenhd 10mo ago
  ... following a police complaint about stalking, against a man involved in a business dispute, seemingly among other things. He may be innocent, but there's more to the story than the picture of the gun.
aydyn 10mo ago

Angostura 10mo ago

Is it your view that no-one should ever be arrested for anything they say, in any context? > There has to be a line. Where do you draw the line?

theglenn88_ 10mo ago
I'd like to think that we all agree that you would be arrested for saying things in person (hate crimes, etc) would be the same things you'd be arrested for saying online... i'd place the line about there. However, there are cases which do cross the line... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo
- happyopossum 10mo ago
  > we all agree that you would be arrested for saying things in person (hate crimes, etc) would be the same things you'd be arrested for saying online.. And that’s where you’d be wrong - lots of us belief that speech should not be a cause for arrest except in the most extreme circumstances. Hurting someone’s feelings is not that
  - theglenn88_ 10mo ago
    > And that’s where you’d be wrong - lots of us belief that speech should not be a cause for arrest except in the most extreme circumstances. Hurting someone’s feelings is not that what is an extreme circumstance? At least in the UK, hate speech is a crime and is punishable by law, whether people agree or disagree is irrelevant, I do believe that if it's illegal on the street it should be illegal online, obviously in the relevant jurisdiction.

tokai 10mo ago

UK has been self destructing for a looong time now. While things aren't great globally for free speech and privacy, I don't think pointing to UK as an example for anything makes sense. They have been on their path for many decades.

doctorpangloss 10mo ago

the lowest resistance solution to e.g. cheating at school using ChatGPT will be spyware on kids' devices. while nobody should be arrested for speech online, here on hacker news, people are downvoted for saying something unpopular (as opposed to whatever, i don't even know what the criteria is, but maybe it should be "toxic") all the time. you are preaching to the wrong audience, not the choir.

Waterluvian 10mo ago

The price of freedom will only go up. People can’t help but wait to buy at the last minute when it costs an arm and a leg.

markdown 10mo ago

I've seen what's said online these days. Open racism and bigotry. This has always been the case but now it's done without shame by prominent people and influencers using their real account. Twitter is as bad as Stormfront these days. We absolutely need to police hate speech. > There has to be a line. There is no line at all these days, with open hatred displayed. Fascism is on the rise across the world off the back of the hatred that's produced on social media. > Every day 33 brits are arrested for what they say online. They must be giving them tea and crumpets before releasing them to generate more hate online because it clearly isn't working.