Fact check: Yes, the UK does have free speech

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Fact check: Yes, the UK does have free speech  The principle of free speech is enshrined in law across Europe thanks to the European Convention on Human Rights.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/03/06/fact-check-yes-the-uk-does-have-free-speech  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Yes, the UK does have free speech.

00:07The UK and other European countries have recently been attacked by high-profile figures in the US

00:13for allegedly clamping down on citizens' free speech.

00:16But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British.

00:23Vance's comments to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer follow repeated criticism by Elon Musk

00:29that the UK is supposedly policing people's thoughts and sending them to prison for social media posts.

00:35But it's wrong to suggest that the UK is curtailing free speech because it's clearly enshrined in law.

00:41The European Convention on Human Rights, incorporated into domestic law,

00:45grants citizens a whole host of protections related to free speech.

00:49Article 9 says everyone has the right to freedom of thought and belief.

00:54Article 10 protects their right to freedom of expression.

00:57And Article 11 guarantees the right to protest.

01:00Responding to Vance's comment in the Oval Office,

01:03Starmer said that the UK has had free speech for a very long time and will continue to do so.

01:08Some of the contention may be based on the UK's anti-hate speech laws,

01:12but these are designed to protect citizens from discrimination and incitements to violence.

01:17The Public Disorder Act, for example, makes it an offence for a person to use threatening words

01:22that can cause distress, encourage terrorism or incite hatred on the grounds of race, religion or sexuality.

01:29The more recent Online Safety Act is cited as another potential barrier to free speech,

01:34but it's designed to stop harmful content, threats and misinformation online.

01:39Nevertheless, some civil liberties groups say its measures could stifle freedom of expression,

01:44with experts saying it will have to be tested against the European Convention on Human Rights in court

01:50to see if any amendments are needed.

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