In yet another sign of growing American concern about the state of free speech in the UK, the US Ambassador has issued a stark warning to attendees at a Pilgrim Society of Great Britain dinner at Guildhall, stating that the threat to free expression in Britain is very real. This marked Ambassador Warren Stephens’s inaugural address to the Pilgrim Society, continuing a long-standing tradition for US ambassadors.
Ambassador Stephens centred his speech on the principles of free markets, free people, and free nations. He warned the audience — which included Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy — that free speech is under increasing pressure in the UK. His remarks follow a series of pointed interventions from senior American figures, including Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk, former Senior Advisor to President Trump, owner of X, and the world’s wealthiest individual.
Although Stephens’s comments were more measured than those of Vice President Vance, he delivered a strong and compelling appeal to the United Kingdom, emphasising the deep cultural and economic bonds that unite the two nations.
Stephens stressed that both the United States and the United Kingdom “must refuse to allow policies, laws and regulations to become so broad that they undermine our commitment to freedom of expression.” His warning resonates amid concerns over the increasingly heavy-handed policing of online speech and the overzealous recording Non-Crime Hate Incidents rather than addressing real crimes that cause real-world harm. In 2023, 90 per cent of all crimes went unsolved, while in the same year 13,800 people were arrested for “offensive” social media posts and messages.
While the Ambassador did not explicitly reference the Online Safety Act — legislation currently causing disruption in US courts — it was clear the issue was on his mind. This was most evident when he remarked: “Technology is developing rapidly and that poses new challenges for debates over freedom of expression – but as two nations founded on liberty, we must enshrine and defend the freedoms we fought together for in two world wars and in the battle against Communism and Socialism.”
Recent reporting in The Telegraph revealed that the US messaging platform 4chan has refused to pay a £20,000 Ofcom fine for failing to provide information on alleged “illegal material” on the platform and is now suing the regulator. American businesses and lawmakers have increasingly expressed concern that the Online Safety Act and Ofcom’s enforcement regime infringe upon a US citizen’s right to free speech under the First Amendment.
In February, Vice President Vance raised the issue directly with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stating: “There have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British, of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them, but also affect American technology companies.”
You can read the US Ambassador’s full speech here.