In 2025, the Free Speech Union handled 211 cases in which people got into trouble — either with their employer or the police — for words said on social media.
Of the 211 cases, 59 involved the police and 152 were employer-related. Facebook accounted for 87 cases, X for 59, LinkedIn and Instagram for 15 each, internal company intranets for 8, WhatsApp for 10, YouTube for 8, TikTok for 6, and other platforms for 3.
Police forces across the country have adopted an increasingly overzealous approach to monitoring social media posts.
Let’s take a look at some of the cases below 👇
1️⃣ Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine
Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested at home by six police officers in front of their young daughter. They were taken to the police station, fingerprinted, and held in cells for eight hours.
Their crime? Complaining about their child’s school in a parents’ WhatsApp group.
The school accused them of orchestrating a social media campaign against staff. In reality, they were raising concerns about their daughter, who is neurodivergent and has epilepsy.
They were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications, and causing a nuisance on school property.
The Free Speech Union supported Maxie and Rosalind by providing lawyers and covering all legal fees. We secured £20,000 in compensation and an admission of wrongful arrest from Hertfordshire Constabulary.
2️⃣ Robert Moss
Free Speech Union member and former fireman of 28 years, Robert Moss, was arrested in an early-morning raid for criticising his former employer in a Facebook group.
He was subjected to Orwellian bail conditions preventing him from speaking about his arrest, and had two iPhones, an iPad, and a computer seized.
Staffordshire Police told the former Labour councillor that his “right to freedom of expression” had to be “limited to maintain public safety and order”.
The Free Speech Union provided Robert with a top-class lawyer who overturned the ludicrous bail conditions, restoring his right to speak freely.
Mr Moss said: “I was a critic of Staffordshire Fire Service and had been gagged from saying anything about individuals there, the service itself, and my arrest. That is a breach of my human rights.”
3️⃣ Julian Foulkes
Retired special constable Julian Foulkes, 71, had his home raided and was handcuffed on his doorstep by six officers from Kent Police.
Officers arrived armed with batons and pepper spray, commented on his “Brexity books”, and rummaged through private belongings — including newspaper cuttings about his daughter Francesca, who was killed by a drunk driver in Ibiza 15 years ago.
He was taken to the station, held in a cell for eight hours, and interviewed under suspicion of an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.
His “crime”? A disagreement on X with a pro-Palestine activist in which he warned about rising antisemitism.
The Free Speech Union supported Mr Foulkes in legal action against Kent Police, securing an apology and £20,000 in compensation for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.
4️⃣ Deborah Anderson
US citizen, Trump supporter, and cancer patient Deborah Anderson was confronted in her home by a police officer and told she must apologise for a Facebook post.
She was warned that refusal would result in a police interview — yet the officer failed to explain what she was supposed to have said, stating only that “something we believe you have written on Facebook has upset someone”.
No further action was taken, but the case exposed a disturbing reality: police officers acting as arbiters of hurt feelings.
5️⃣ Richard Cooke
PC Richard Cooke was sacked as chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation — a role to which he had been elected three times to represent 7,000 officers.
He was suspended, barred from re-election, and forced to attend Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training after questioning claims that policing is institutionally racist.
The Free Speech Union has backed Mr Cooke’s legal action and set up a crowdfunder to support his case.
6️⃣ Kirstie Higgs
Kirstie Higgs, a teacher at a Christian school, was dismissed from Farmor’s School over Facebook comments criticising LGBT-inclusive education in primary schools and warning against what she described as ideological “indoctrination”.
A parent complained that her comments were “prejudiced”. Ms Higgs was investigated and dismissed for allegedly bringing the school into disrepute.
Ms Higgs argued she had been discriminated against for her Christian beliefs. The Free Speech Union intervened at the Employment Tribunal, helping ensure freedom of belief and expression were rigorously examined. Three senior judges unanimously ruled her dismissal was “unquestionably a disproportionate response”.
In June, the Supreme Court refused to hear the final appeal in Farmor’s School v Kirstie Higgs, marking a major free speech victory and clarifying legal protections in the workplace.
7️⃣ Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan — the Father Ted creator and Irish comedian who lives in America — was arrested by five armed police officers at Heathrow on 1 September for three gender-critical posts on X.
He was interrogated and treated like a terrorist, held in a cell for 16 hours. He was only released after his blood pressure became so high that he had to be rushed to A&E at 4am. He was then placed under draconian bail conditions preventing him from posting on X. The Free Speech Union set up a crowdfunder to support Graham and hired a top lawyer, who succeeded in having the gagging order removed.
On 20 October — after weeks on police bail — the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced it would be taking no further action against Graham, and on the same day the Met Police revealed they would no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs). We are now helping Graham sue the Met Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.