If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. UK’s government is still reportedly struggling to accept the new place in the world its many anti-free speech policies occupy, now that the new US administration has taken over. One of the issues apparently difficult for London to understand is that its often alarmingly broad and oppressive “hate speech” rules will have to go – if the UK hopes to secure a favorable trade deal with the US. More: When One Island Demands to Muzzle the World The latest signals from the White House, specifically from VP JD Vance, seem to be that an agreement is close at hand. However – not before the UK’s “hate speech” laws have been addressed, said an anonymous source quoted by the British press. And “hate speech” is mentioned here interchangeably with, “hateful” (online) comments. The source is reportedly “a senior figure” advising the administration (the Independent report doesn’t specify which administration – but it reads to suggests it’s the current one), who is describing Vance as somebody “obsessed by the fall of Western civilization” – because he is opposed to the erosion of free speech, including in the UK. Whatever the tone of the report, and the veracity of the unnamed source, the overall impression from the article is that the Labour government got itself into quite a pickle: ignoring US concerns and failing to reach a favorable trade deal could undermine the economy in serious ways. But being responsive to those concerns could undermine the ideological profile the ruling party has been projecting for a long time – and cost it dearly in the next election. The time London has to come up with some sort of game plan is 90 days, which is for how long the US tariffs decision has been suspended. The UK government’s current negotiating stance is to try to keep the issues limited to the economy. In line with this, reports say that the government has said it is ready to abandon the digital services tax. But the other, US side, appears determined to tie the issue of trade with that of democracy, i.e., free speech protections. Therefore, the “hate speech” rules, as well as the sweeping UK censorship law, and the Online Safety Act, remain subject to negotiation. “No free speech, no deal” – reportedly remains Washington’s red line. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post UK–US Trade Deal at Risk as White House Pressures London to Reform Censorship Laws appeared first on Reclaim The Net.