Newly revealed data shows that nearly 10,000 British citizens were arrested last year for social media posts. And since multiple police jurisdictions did not share data, the number is actually probably much higher.
The UK Daily Mail reported “shocking numbers” last week after obtaining data from 39 out of 45 police jurisdictions in the United Kingdom. This shows 9,700 arrests last year for social media posts, and 13,800 arrests the previous year. While the number of arrests last year went down, they were still higher than before the COVID pandemic. And it is unclear whether arrests will not have increased this year, as reportedly up to 30 people were being arrested a day in the UK amidst harsh free-speech crackdowns.
The Daily Mail noted that in 2023, when nearly 14,000 people were arrested for free speech, 90% of crimes went unsolved. Unsurprisingly, as the outlet explained, many people are outraged at the waste of resources on enforcing certain opinions while actual crimes go unpunished.
And only 7% of adults say online hate crimes should be a 'top priority' for police to investigate, instead saying they would much rather they dealt with violence, burglary, robbery and drug-dealing, according to polling by the Policy Exchange think tank.
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David Spencer, the head of the think tank’s crime and justice team, told The Daily Mail, “When Chief Constables choose to use their finite resources on policing social media, it means they are not using that resource to tackle knife crime, sexual offenses and shoplifting.”
Among the police jurisdictions that did not respond to the Daily Mail with data was Police Scotland, which is the second largest in the UK. And, therefore, the outlet warned that the arrest numbers for last year are actually probably significantly higher than 9,700.
There is an increasing outcry against police and authorities for overreaching and attempting to target individuals without even justification based on the anti-free speech laws such as the Online Safety Act.
The number of arrests did vary greatly based on the jurisdiction.
Cumbria Constabulary had the nation's highest arrest rate of 42.5 per 100,000 population (217 arrests) in 2024, 20 times higher than Staffordshire Police's low rate of 2.1 (21 arrests).
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Maya Thomas, legal and policy officer at the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, told the Daily Mail, “Despite the prime minister's assurances that 'We're not censoring anyone,' the UK is unfortunately gaining an international reputation as a country where online speech is policed with more enthusiasm than the types of crime causing people the most anxiety and concern.”
She added, “The right to speak freely is a cherished British freedom that underpins our democracy and yet it is being eroded by these chilling arrests for online speech that may not involve any risk of real-world harm at all.”
"The sacrifice wasn't worth the result it is now. What we fought for was our freedom, we find now it's a darn sight worse than what it was when I fought for it."
— Turning Point UK 🇬🇧 (@TPointUK) November 7, 2025
100-year-old World War II Veteran Alec Penstone gives a damning verdict on modern Britain. pic.twitter.com/N6yeFkhlLw
Simply criticizing mass migration, Islam, or transgender ideology on X or Facebook could ensure you end up in handcuffs in Britain nowadays. It is no wonder that a British World War II veteran recently mourned that the sacrifice of his comrades was not worth it when he looked around his country and saw it becoming an authoritarian catastrophe. They fought for freedom, which is exactly what the police and politicians in the UK now are crushing.
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