High-ranking British officials were hauled into the US embassy in London for a grilling over Labour’s internet crackdowns, it has been revealed.
Mandarins from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Foreign Office were summoned to hear American concerns over the Online Safety Act, social media ban and plans to promote certain broadcasters’ content online.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour announced a social media ban for 12 million under-16s modelled on Australia’s own clampdown just months ago.
But US Deputy Chief of Mission Robert W Thomas is said to hold concerns over the ban, noting how it barely worked Down Under, sources familiar with the discussions told PoliticsHome.
The US has long issued warnings to the UK over the crackdown and its effects on free speech.
Sarah B Rogers, of the State Department, told GB News that banning the internet was what happens in “authoritarian, closed societies” and said the British state had “pro-censorship inclinations”.
And this week, the Americans used the meeting to address the impacts of the internet restrictions.
In what were billed as “non-adversarial” talks, the US argued for more parental controls rather than a widespread ban.
It also criticised how the Online Safety Act plans to dish out fines to American tech firms.
Under the Act, Ofcom can fine non-compliant firms up to £18million or 10 per cent of their qualifying worldwide revenue – whichever is greater.
But in the meeting, the US warned that going after companies’ global, not British, revenue was unfair.
On Monday, American officials repeated their earlier warnings to the UK about Labour’s plans for the web.
Earlier this month, the US embassy condemned Labour’s plan to promote so-called “trustworthy” sources as “censorship” – an issue brought up to UK officials this week.
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The White House questioned how the UK Government would choose which media outlets qualify as trustworthy under the plans.
It warned any system which encourages the Government to “influence which sources receive preferential visibility risks” could lead to “viewpoint-based censorship”.
The US embassy contributed to the Government’s social media ban consultation in June, warning Britain not to push ahead with it.
It is thought to have brought up that warning again.
A DCMS source told PoliticsHome the meeting was a “routine engagement” and said they would work closely to “ensure policies are understood and to identify shared priorities”.
British diplomatic sources in Washington previously told The Times the US’s public criticism of Labour’s ban plans was frustrating, unnecessary, and released without warning.
The so-called “special relationship” has become increasingly fraught under Labour after Sir Keir and Donald Trump’s rapport soured over Iran.
Mr Trump just last week suggested the US would not support Britain over the Falklands and called for a united Ireland.
And he will come face-to-face with Andy Burnham for the first time next week at the United Nations in New York.
GB News has approached the Foreign Office and US Embassy in London for comment on the meeting.
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