Some social media-related arrests tied to the riots have involved posts advocating for violence, but the government shows every intention of expanding penalties to posts which incite hate in a more vague sense. The UK’s official X account ominously warned users, “think before you post.” The UK police commissioner even suggested that the extradition of citizens of foreign countries for “stirring up racial hatred” online was on the table last week.

Keir Starmer has blamed the riots on social media misinformation, and the UK is now looking to crack down further on social media posts. The director of public prosecutions of England and Wales has warned that even retweeting social media posts that may be considered “insulting or abusive” or which could “start racial hatred” could be cause for punishment. “It’s very, very serious. People might think they’re not doing anything harmful. They are. And the consequences will be visited upon them,” he said.

Milei, a committed libertarian, said his country was “undertaking a paradigm shift not only economic but also social, political and cultural,” adding that Argentina was going “against the direction that many countries in the world have been taking lately.”

The UK’s Online Safety Act penalises individuals who share messages that can cause “psychological or physical harm”, but exempts the press. Apparently aware of this, Milei suggested in his speech that reporters in his own country would support laws similar to those of the UK. “The journalists here would also like it, because they don’t like that they have lost the monopoly of the microphone and being able to use that tool to extort and slander without any cost,” he said.

---

is UnHerd’s US correspondent.

laureldugg

---