Disclaimer: This is not legal advice, it is a commentary on the some of the vague laws of UK that can theoretically be weaponized against non-incitement/ER support incel speech online.
UK and other European countries are increasingly authoritarian with its latest, vague 'security' laws designed to target 'extremists'.
I have written guides on speech optimization in BRICS countries, but they prioritize anti-government speech over social speech.
Traditional authoritarian advice of just not undermining the state and not letting it blow out of proportion may not work here.
Incel content, anti feminism, hate speech, and HBD discussions, etc, that may be safe in the BRICS countries may not safe in UK.
Protests, online hate, and disruption of "key infrastructure" (just stop oil) are the key focus targets.
Notice: US is one of the few places that only guarantee incel safety on the internet via first amendment.
Classification as an extrmeist ideology:
Incels are classified as a part of broader misogynist extremists, under the classification of Mixed, Unclear and Unstable in UK PREVENT program.
'Incel’ ideology is recognised as an extremist ideology by SO15 (Counter Terrorism Command) within the MPS in London. [1]
Platform law
Online Safety Act 2023 (focused on penalizing the platforms, demanding the removal of content)
Threatening Communications (Section 181): Criminalises messages conveying threats of death, serious injury, or rape
Protection of Children (Sections 11 & 12): Services likely to be accessed by children must prevent them from encountering "primary priority content" and protect them from "priority content".
User Empowerment Tools (Sections 15 & 16): Large "Category 1" platforms must provide adults with optional tools to filter out content that is "legal but harmful".
Section 16(5) specifically includes content that is misogynist or abusive on the basis of sex, allowing users to block or hide such material even if it doesn't meet a criminal threshold. [2]
Individual laws:
Communications Act 2003
(Section 127) A person is guilty of an offence if he sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character [3]
Malicious Communications Act 1988
(Section 1) Any person who sends to another person, which the letter, electronic communication or article of any description] which conveys a message which is indecent or grossly offensive is guilty of an offence if his purpose, or one of his purposes, in sending it is that it should, so far as falling within paragraph (a) or (b) above, cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intends that it or its contents or nature should be communicated. [4]
There are more sections in the online safety act 2023 that penalizes individual crimes, but I don't have time to find for them.
Conclusion:
Remember that enforcement can be selective, because UK itself does not have enough resources to investigate devices, being overwhelmed. [5]
There are more
Sources:
https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-ar...uestions-mayor/find-an-answer/incel-extremism [1]
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...xplainer#how-the-act-protects-women-and-girls [2]
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127 [3]
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/27/section/1 [4]
https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorate...e when it,be examined, a new report has found. [5]
UK and other European countries are increasingly authoritarian with its latest, vague 'security' laws designed to target 'extremists'.
I have written guides on speech optimization in BRICS countries, but they prioritize anti-government speech over social speech.
Traditional authoritarian advice of just not undermining the state and not letting it blow out of proportion may not work here.
Incel content, anti feminism, hate speech, and HBD discussions, etc, that may be safe in the BRICS countries may not safe in UK.
Protests, online hate, and disruption of "key infrastructure" (just stop oil) are the key focus targets.
Notice: US is one of the few places that only guarantee incel safety on the internet via first amendment.
Classification as an extrmeist ideology:
Incels are classified as a part of broader misogynist extremists, under the classification of Mixed, Unclear and Unstable in UK PREVENT program.
'Incel’ ideology is recognised as an extremist ideology by SO15 (Counter Terrorism Command) within the MPS in London. [1]
Platform law
Online Safety Act 2023 (focused on penalizing the platforms, demanding the removal of content)
Threatening Communications (Section 181): Criminalises messages conveying threats of death, serious injury, or rape
Protection of Children (Sections 11 & 12): Services likely to be accessed by children must prevent them from encountering "primary priority content" and protect them from "priority content".
User Empowerment Tools (Sections 15 & 16): Large "Category 1" platforms must provide adults with optional tools to filter out content that is "legal but harmful".
Section 16(5) specifically includes content that is misogynist or abusive on the basis of sex, allowing users to block or hide such material even if it doesn't meet a criminal threshold. [2]
Individual laws:
Communications Act 2003
(Section 127) A person is guilty of an offence if he sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character [3]
Malicious Communications Act 1988
(Section 1) Any person who sends to another person, which the letter, electronic communication or article of any description] which conveys a message which is indecent or grossly offensive is guilty of an offence if his purpose, or one of his purposes, in sending it is that it should, so far as falling within paragraph (a) or (b) above, cause distress or anxiety to the recipient or to any other person to whom he intends that it or its contents or nature should be communicated. [4]
There are more sections in the online safety act 2023 that penalizes individual crimes, but I don't have time to find for them.
Conclusion:
Remember that enforcement can be selective, because UK itself does not have enough resources to investigate devices, being overwhelmed. [5]
There are more
Sources:
https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-ar...uestions-mayor/find-an-answer/incel-extremism [1]
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...xplainer#how-the-act-protects-women-and-girls [2]
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127 [3]
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/27/section/1 [4]
https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorate...e when it,be examined, a new report has found. [5]
