UK Minister Accuses Farage of Supporting Online Safety Act Opponents

Peter Kyle, the UK Science Secretary, has strongly defended the recently implemented Online Safety Act, accusing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of siding with extreme pornographers and sexual predators like Jimmy Savile by pledging to repeal the law. Kyle argued that the Act is essential to protect children from harmful content and prevent strangers from contacting minors via social media and messaging apps. The accusations, made during a Sky News interview, sparked controversy as Kyle claimed that reversing the law would effectively 'turn the clock back' to a time when predators had unrestricted online access to children. Farage condemned the remarks as 'disgusting' and demanded an apology, while maintaining his party’s stance that the law infringes on free speech and has no perfect replacement solution yet. The debate highlights the tension between efforts to regulate online content for child safety and concerns about freedom of expression. This dispute reflects wider political divisions on how best to balance internet safety with civil liberties.