[ExI] UK now jailing people for unapproved online posts

[Tom Nowell]

 I don't recall anything in the UK media saying that our police would be targeting US citizens over the recent riots. However, we do have a problem with people deliberately stirring the pot and trying to get online reaction by spreading misinformation. 
The threat to issue arrest warrants and extradite probably has more to do with Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, aka Tommeh Ten Names. He was recently booted out of Canada and fled the UK to Cyprus to avoid an arrest warrant for contempt of court. He gets online following for spreading information that stirs up anger at immigrants, and whenever he finds a criminal case involving an immigrant he starts posting online about "evil immigrants coming here to commit crime", and how "the government wants to stop you from discovering the truth". Our courts have laws about what you can and cannot report, in order to maximise the chances of a fair trial, and I believe US courts also have restrictions. Mr Ten Names doesn't care about this, and is in trouble for it and acts surprised that free speech isn't an absolute right in the UK.
We have had news stories in the UK about people posting false information about the Southport stabbings - the accused was a 17 year old, so as a minor the media weren't allowed to release virtually anything without court approval. People who posted false names or claimed the murderer was an immigrant before reporting restrictions were loosened have found themselves getting charged with offences like "one count of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred" or "sending a false communication with intent to cause harm".
I just checked the BBC website and it seems people are being charged for all sorts of things, including somebody posting a video claiming he was being chased by far-right rioters where there weren't any.
The current crop of headlines are mostly for people who have pleaded guilty, as they are getting sentenced now. The people who can afford a legal battle will take some months to go through the system.
We shall see just how severe the UK government gets when it feels public order is threatened over the next few weeks.
Tom   
  
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