Sir Keir Starmer may be willing to water down social media laws in order to avoid tariffs from Donald Trump, insiders have suggested.
The Online Safety Act, which regulates online speech, is reportedly disliked by Trump because it can levy big fines on US tech companies.
The Telegraph reported that No10 may be willing to renegotiate elements of the law in order to reach an agreement, should any issues be raised by the US.
The Act has faced widespread criticism from free speech campaigners as well as economists, who claim its broad provisions to tackle harmful content online could lead to excessive censorship, deterring investments from American tech firms.
No10 may be willing to renegotiate elements of the law in order to reach an agreement
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Elon Musk, who owns the social media platform X, is among those inside Trump’s administration most concerned about social media laws in the UK.
Sources have revealed that Musk has been urging Trump to raise curbs on social media regulation in trade discussions with Britain.
Under the current law, social media companies can be hit with fines of up to £18million or 10 per cent of their annual revenue if they fail to remove harmful content from their platforms.
Huge names in tech such as Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, have been attempting to gain influence with the US President.
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Sources have revealed that Musk has been urging Trump to raise curbs on social media regulation
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A source close to the topic has suggested that Trump’s friendship with major tech executives could strengthen his stance on free speech policies in other countries.
Another source said the UK social media laws were viewed as “Orwellian” in the US.
They said: “To many people that are currently in power, they feel the United Kingdom has become a dystopian, Orwellian place where people have to keep silent about things that aren’t fashionable.”
“The administration hate it [Online Safety Act]. Congress has been saying that [it is a concern] ever since it was enacted. Those in the administration are saying the exact same thing.”
Trump’s friendship with major tech executives could strengthen his stance on free speech policies in other countries
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Musk has been preparing for a fight with regulator Ofcom which will be granted the new powers in the next few weeks.
The billionaire has been using his platform X to campaign against free speech restrictions in the UK, most recently calling for the release of former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, who was jailed for contempt of court for repeating false claims about a Syrian refugee.
Starmer has recently come under attack in the US over discussions to ban content from social media that is deemed harmful, even if not illegal.
The UK has much stricter laws on free speech than the US, where the right to freedom of speech is part of its Constitution.
Musk has been preparing for a fight with regulator Ofcom
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The founder of the Free Speech Union, Lord Young of Acton, has said if Ofcom attempts to fine big tech firms, he believes there will be a “showdown” between Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and the UK Government.
“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,” he added.
The Act is reportedly seen as a “roadblock” in any trade deals, according to trade policy analyst Andrew Hale.
“Every meeting I have to discuss trade policy with people either in the administration or people in congress they always raise that. They say, ‘This is a huge roadblock’,” he said.
However, if Starmer attempts to water down the safety reforms, he is likely to face opposition from his Labour colleagues.
The party’s manifesto said it would “explore further measures to keep everyone safe online, particularly when using social media”.
Amid fears in the Government that new US tariffs are imminent, Trump insisted a deal could be “worked out” and that he and Starmer were “getting along very well”.
