Police in the United Kingdom are arresting about 33 people per day for posting offensive messages online under laws like the Communications Act 2003 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988, which target messages causing distress or deemed “grossly offensive.” In 2023, the latest year for which data are available, police arrested 12,183 people for posting offensive messages—up 58 percent from 2019. Despite the high arrest numbers, convictions have dropped by nearly half since 2015, with only 1,119 sentenced in 2023, often due to lack of cooperation from the victim or issues with evidence. Critics, including the Free Speech Union, highlight cases like a couple detained for school-related emails and a man convicted for an offensive Halloween costume, warning that such arrests waste resources and could harm free expression. Police defend their actions as lawful but sometimes admit to heavy-handed approaches.
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