Saturday, April 5, 2025

Fascism, Communism and Nazism came from Europe and they still haven't shaken off the allure

New UK Internet Policing Law Targets US Online Forums

BY TYLER DURDEN
SATURDAY, APR 05, 2025 - 06:20 AM

Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times,

Online forums based in the United States that rely on First Amendment protections are getting caught up in internet regulations in the UK, where they now risk being blocked under recent legislation.

Hailed by the British government as the world’s first online safety law, the Online Safety Act (OSA) became law in October 2023, but the duties related to the regulation of so-called illegal content took effect on March 17. 

The law requires online platforms to implement measures to protect people in the UK from criminal activity, with far-reaching implications for the internet.

Gab, an American social media network, positions itself as a champion of free speech.

Gab CEO Andrew Torba said in a March 26 social media postthat the UK government has demanded that it submit to “their new censorship regime under the UK Online Safety Act.”

Gab—which has no legal presence in the UK—was informed in a letter from UK regulator Ofcom on March 16 that it falls specifically within the scope of the law and must comply.

Under the OSA, sites that allow user interaction, including forums, must have completed an illegal harm risk assessment by March 16 and submitted it to Ofcom by March 31.

Ofcom warned that noncompliance could result in enforcement action—including massive fines of 18 million pounds (more than $23 million), or 10 percent of a company’s annual revenue—or even court orders to block access in the UK.

OSA was designed to ensure tech companies take more responsibility for user safety.

Under the act, social media platforms and other user-to-user service providers must proactively police harmful and illegal content such as revenge and extreme pornography, sex trafficking, harassment, coercive or controlling behavior, and cyberstalking.

Gab has refused to comply with the OSA.

“We will not comply. We will not pay one cent,” Torba said.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Gab said that this “law operates outside their jurisdiction.”

Gab’s lawyers said that their client is a U.S. company with no presence outside of the United States.

“The most fundamental of America’s laws—the First Amendment to our Constitution—ensures Gab’s right to provide a service that allows anyone, anywhere, to receive and impart political opinions of any kind, free from state interference, on its US-based servers,” they said in a statement last month.

In 2018, Gab was cut off by payment processors after 46-year-old Robert Bowers allegedly posted anti-Semitic comments on the platform just hours before shooting to death 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue.

“I was horrified that this terrorist, this alleged terrorist, was on our site,” Torba said at the time.

Gab also refused to comply with legislation in other countries.

The company claimed it received a data request from the German government concerning a user who, in 2022, made a comment that was deemed offensive by a German politician.

“This comment, which referred to the politician’s weight, has prompted the German government to demand that we hand over the user’s data so they can identify and potentially imprison them for up to five years,” Torba said at the time.

Gab has also been banned from Google and Apple app stores, as both require apps to enforce strict content moderation policies.

Web forum Kiwifarms said it also received a letter from Ofcom. 

The platform is now blocking users in the UK because of the legislation.

British users are now greeted with a message: 

“You are accessing this website from the United Kingdom. This is not a good idea. The letter states the UK asserts authority over any website that has a ’significant number of United Kingdom users’. This ambiguous metric could include any site on the Internet and specifically takes aim at the people using a website instead of the website itself.”

The unsigned message added that the situation in the UK is “now so dire I fear for the safety of any user connecting to the Internet from the country.”

The law has already affected dozens of smaller UK websites, from forums for cyclists, hobbyists, and hamster owners, to those supporting divorced fathers.

The regulatory pressure and the many rules have caused many of them to shut down, despite some operating for decades.

‘Locked Out of UK Internet Space’

If Gab or other companies do not comply, Ofcom can use enforcement powers.

John Carr, one of the world’s leading authorities on children’s and young people’s use of digital technologies, told The Epoch Times by email that the regulator “has the power to go to a UK court asking for orders which could compel different actors to withdraw services from Gab if it remains non-compliant with Ofcom’s directives.”

It can, for example, apply to the court for “business disruption measures (BDMs).”

These measures allow the blocking of noncompliant services, meaning UK users could lose access to certain platforms. BDMs could involve requesting payment or advertising providers to withdraw services or ask internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict access.

He said it was a “negative form of enforcement insofar as, ultimately, Ofcom can get them locked out of UK internet space,” adding that it would be a business decision.

“If they don’t have many UK users they will probably defy Ofcom and big it up as brave defiance. It’s not hard to write the script,” he said. “There is no legal basis on which an overseas company can claim it has an exemption from applying local law.”

Legal commentator Tony Dowson told The Epoch Times that the legislation does allow services to be regulated even if they are not incorporated in the UK.

He said that there is a legal test in the law over whether it has “links” with the UK, which can mean “having a significant number of UK users or the UK being one target audience.”

Dowson said that another test in the law assesses if the service is capable of being used in the UK and if there are “reasonable grounds to think that it poses a risk of serious harm through its content.”

“So, Ofcom is entitled to, under the Act, to regulate services outside the UK, as unrealistic as it could be in practice,” he said.

The UK has blocked sites via court order before.

In May 2012, British courts ordered major ISPs, including Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, O2, and Everything Everywhere (EE), to block access to The Pirate Bay, a file-sharing website, after a ruling found it facilitated copyright infringement.

‘Key Figures No Longer Buy the Fiction’

U.S. lawyer Preston Byrne said he believes that enforcement of the law could set it on a political collision course with the United States.

“London should brace for significant political blowback,” he told The Epoch Times by email.

Byrne is urging American companies that received letters from Ofcom to contact his law firm, Byrne & Storm. He stated that the websites’ decision to operate from the United States appears to be a lawful exercise of their First Amendment rights.

“The UK is, in effect, asserting that the First Amendment no longer exists,” he said. “It’s increasingly clear to me that key figures in Congress and the White House no longer buy the fiction that the UK is merely trying to make the internet a bit safer for kids, and now believe the UK is trying to undo the U.S. Constitution.”

Screenshot of attempts to access the video site Rumble in France. Epoch Times

James Tidmarsh, an international lawyer based in Paris specializing in complex international commercial litigation and arbitration, told The Epoch Times that he suspects this case “is going to attract a lot of attention [UK authorities] don’t need.”

Tidmarsh referenced France’s decision to block the American site Rumble.

In November 2022, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski turned “off France entirely” after the company refused to comply with the country’s demand for the removal of Russian state-media accounts.

Tariffs

Tidmarsh mulled that the UK could also face threats of tariffs.

This year, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a memorandumseeking to protect American companies and innovators from what he called “overseas extortion.”

Much of Trump’s ire has been focused on the European Digital Services Act (DSA), with the European Commission staring down a series of deadlines to decide whether Apple, Meta, and Google are in breach of the EU’s digital competition laws.

The chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, appointed to the FCC helm by Trump in January, said that DSA’s approach was “something that is incompatible with both our free speech tradition in America and the commitments that these technology companies have made to a diversity of opinions.”

The U.S. State Department said in a March 20 statement on social media that it was “concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.”

The department was referring to the case of 64-year-old Livia Tossici-Bolt, a campaigner who opposes abortion and was recently charged with infringing a public spaces protection order after holding a sign reading “here to talk” near an abortion facility in Bournemouth, England.

Tidmarsh said he believed there was a risk that the special relationship between the UK and the United States could be affected.

“We, as in Europe, still rely on the U.S. for so much, culturally, commercially,“ Tidmarsh said. ”My first reaction seeing this was, ‘Oh my God, how did they get the timing so wrong?’ I mean, if this goes across Trump’s desk, I mean he can very easily just extend all these tariffs to the UK.”

An Ofcom spokesperson told The Epoch Times that services that want to operate in the UK must comply with UK laws.

“The new duties that have just come into force under the UK’s Online Safety Act have free speech at their core and are all about protecting people in the UK from illegal content and activity like child sexual abuse material and fraud,” the spokesperson said. “We’re currently assessing platforms’ compliance with these new laws, and our codes of practice can help them do that. But, make no mistake, providers who fail to introduce measures to protect UK users from illegal content can expect to face enforcement action.”


Biden's State Department interference in international elections

Judicial Watch Sues for Records on Biden State Department Grants to Support Leftist Opposition to Conservative Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban

https://www.judicialwatch.org/viktor-orban/?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=weekend+playback&utm_term=members

Trans power over women's rights... it makes sense when you have a Supreme Court judge who can't tell you what defines a woman

California Lawmakers Reject Bills To Ban Males From Female Sports

BY TYLER DURDEN
SATURDAY, APR 05, 2025 - 09:50 AM

Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times,

California state lawmakers have rejected a change to state policies that would have required male student athletes identifying as transgender to compete on sports teams consistent with their sex.

On April 1, Democratic lawmakers on the state Assembly’s Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism rejected two bills introduced by Republican lawmakers—AB 89 and AB 844. Democrats hold a supermajority on the committee.

AB 89 would have required the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, to follow rules banning male students from playing on girls’ sports teams at school.

AB 844 would have effectively repealed the 2013 California School Success and Opportunity Act, which permits students to play in sex-segregated school programs, including on sports teams, as well as use bathrooms and other facilities based on their gender identity. The bill would have applied to K-12 and college students.

Democratic Assemblyman Chris Ward, the committee chair and leader of the legislative LGBTQ+ caucus, alleged the bills to be part of an attack on transgender youth.

“Let’s be clear—this isn’t about fairness,” he statedin a post on Instagram.

“It’s about fear and exclusion, and I won’t stand for it.”

“Targeting trans athletes doesn’t protect anyone—it harms all girls,” said Ward, who represents large parts of San Diego. 

“This must stop.”

Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli, author of AB 844, said the measure would restore fairness to women’s sports.

“California will come into compliance with Title IX either through the legislative process or the court process,” Essayli said during the hearing on Tuesday. “Title IX was passed to protect sex-based sports, to protect girls so they could have their own teams, so they can compete and be champions.”

Essayli said that even one woman disenfranchised due to current state law is too many.

“You’re taking rights away from women,” Essayli said.

Cross country athlete Taylor Starling testified at the hearing that a biological male identifying as a female took her varsity cross-country spot. She had been co-captain of the team.

“After having my spot taken away from me that I earned, I missed out on running with my varsity team in one of the top cross-country invitationals of the season,” Starling said. “My Title IX and free speech rights as a female matter too. Why are girls being told that we must sit down and be quiet while boys unfairly get ahead of us in life?”

Essayli took to social media to condemn Assembly Democrats for continuing what he perceives as a war against women’s rights.

The Corona lawmaker said that most Californians want to keep transgender females out of girls’ sports.

“Assembly Democrats are radically out of touch with common-sense Californians, and the voters will hold them accountable to restore justice and fairness in girls sports,” he said in a statement.

According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, 66 percent of Americans think that transgender athletes should play in sports based on their birth sex.

“Our young women are being forced to undress in locker rooms with boys,” Assemblyman and Republican leader James Gallagher of Chico said at the press conference after the vote.

“It’s an absurd result of flawed policy.”

Republican Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez of Rancho Santa Margarita wanted to make it clear in the press conference that the bill targeted CIF competitive high school sports.

“We stood for all high school athletic females. They deserve a safe space. They deserve to be protected,” she said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, made headlines in March when he said on his podcast that he believes allowing transgender-identifying male athletes to participate in girls’ sports is unfair.

Later Tuesday, Essayli resigned from the Assembly to accept President Donald Trump’s appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.


Forgotten? The fate of German citizens abducted abroad

Forgotten? The fate of German citizens abducted abroad


11 hours ago

The recent video of a German nurse who was abducted in Somalia around seven years ago has put the fate of abducted Germans in the spotlight.

When a small group of ideology driven radicals disrupt the larger population

Delusional lefties could sabotage Marine Terminal’s major facelift



Obviously didn't need the meth to be violent


Wisconsin killer who dismembered her boyfriend during meth-fueled sex attacks her own lawyer in court



Do not plea down it only encourages them

Terrifying moment California motorcyclist is pinned under driver’s car and dragged in road rage dispute



Because it was so successful inferring the people of the USSR...testing New Yorkers level of stupidity

Socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s plan for city-run grocery stores is ‘Soviet’ style disaster-in-waiting, business owners say


The NYC school system proves to be virulent anti Semitic


NYC public schools accused of ‘abhorrent’ antisemitism after anti-Israel ‘Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit’ is included in newsletter


A prison system designed to make the city less safe

Infamous gangbanger who murdered NYPD rookie could be released from prison — and join 43 other cop killers sprung in just 8 years



Entitled to violence

Pro-life activist left covered in blood after being sucker-punched during NYC street interview on abortion




Lying to the infidels

Hamas admits it lied to the world about how many children and civilians died in Gaza



Outing the liars that hid Biden's decline


Rep. Ronny Jackson says House will probe Biden officials on prez’s mental decline — including top White House doc Kevin O’Connor



How the Democrats Nazi narrative has affected the troubled minds of people bent on revenge

BTW Jupiter Island is one of the nations richest communities and home to Joe and Mika.




Florida Man Living Near Mar-a-Lago Arrested After Making Multiple Threats Against President Trump


A Florida man living just over 20 miles outside of Mar-a-Lago has been arrested for posting multiple threats against President Donald Trump.

The Jupiter Police Department (JPD) late Friday night announced the arrest of one Glen DeCicco on charges of "Making Written Threats to Kill" the President.

"The investigation began after JPD was alerted to a concerning Facebook post," a statement reads. "Detectives reviewed DeCicco’s social media activity and confirmed that he had made a written threat directed at the President."

The JPD notes that they coordinated with the Secret Service to investigate DeCicco and take him into custody.

The Sammis Law Firm reveals that a "Written Threat to Kill or Do Bodily Injury" is a second-degree felony punishable by up to fifteen years in prison


DeCicco appears to have been a winner in the 'fool around and find out' sweepstakes.

A quick perusal of his Facebook page and the community groups he subscribes to shows a man who posts often about the President. He posted images of Trump around the time of the Butler assassination attempt in which he suggests that Trump was making a Nazi salute as the Secret Service swarmed to protect him.

While that is the mark of a genuinely unhinged mind, DeCicco recently escalated his comments. As of this morning, the posts likely in question are still up on Facebook.

On Friday morning, he cryptically wrote, "Ass-ass-inate."

He followed that up just seven minutes later, writing, "Winning strategy: buy QQQ, sell SQQQ today; shoot Trump tomorrow."

Police state that they interviewed DeCicco about his posts, and he was taken into custody without incident.


RELATED: DOJ Charges MI Man on Election Day for Threatening to Shoot Conservatives If Trump Wins


President Trump has already been the target of two significant assassination attempts.

The first occurred during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, where he was shot and wounded in the ear. Corey Comperatore, a retired volunteer fire chief, was killed in the assassination attempt as he protected his wife and daughter, and another man was injured. 

The second attempt happened in September 2024 at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where a man, Ryan Wesley Routh, was apprehended after being spotted with a rifle near the golf course.

An Ann Arbor, Michigan, man was arrested on Election Day for threatening to kill Christian conservatives if Trump won the presidency.


Just two weeks ago, another Florida man was arrested for social media threats against the President. Authorities report that 42-year-old Kendal Aaron Todd challenged Trump, who he described as the "Antichrist," to “fight me naked to the death.”

With political tensions escalating again as Democrats refuse to condemn violence against Elon Musk and the Trump administration, it's clear law enforcement is taking these social media threats seriously. As they should.

RedState will keep our readers posted as this story develops.

By Rusty Weiss  | 8:27 AM on April 05, 2025 

When you invite into your country a culture that thinks of women as lead than human

Migrants Killed Half of Spain’s Female Murder Victims

This will help Gulf Coast fishermen

US shrimp industry hails ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs as saving domestic shrimpers

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/3370688/us-shrimp-industry-hails-liberation-day-tariffs-save-domestic-shrimpers/

Much to the dismay of American tow truck drivers

UK's Jaguar Land Rover to pause shipments to US over tariffs

A small win but a win nevertheless

Cambodian Prime Minister Manet offers to reduce tariffs, negotiate with Trump

He wrote that Cambodia "remains fully committed to engaging in constructive and productive dialogue with the U.S. government to further deepen our bilateral trade, so that both nations and peoples can enjoy the tangible benefits from these significant trade relations."

Congressman urges FBI to investigate whether New York defrauding Medicaid: 'Large financial scheme'

Congressman urges FBI to investigate whether New York defrauding Medicaid: 'Large financial scheme'

"Recent evidence suggests that for nearly two decades, the State of New York has deprived Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) of more than $1 billion in Medicaid funds," Burlison says

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a member of the House Oversight Committee and DOGE task force, is urging Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate whether New York state is defrauding Medicaid with a "large financial scheme" involving matching payments for hospitals.

"Recent evidence suggests that for nearly two decades, the State of New York has deprived Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) of more than $1 billion in Medicaid funds," Burlison  wrote in a letter to America's top two law enforcement officials on Thursday.

"The state stands accused of violating federal Medicaid law and intentionally breaching contracts with the federal government, specifically in relation to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program," he added.

The allegations that New York might be cheating Medicaid first surfaced a few months ago in civil litigation and in a New York Post column.Since then, Gov. Kathy Huchul's administration has denied wrongdoing, with a spokesperson alleging they are "false claims."

State legislators have upped the pressure for an investigation and resolution, even staging a rally at the State Capitol recently.

But Burlison's letter escalates those concerns to Congress and federal law enforcement at a moment when President Donald Trump and lawmakers are looking to root out fraud and save money under the DOGE banner.

"In what appears to be a large financial scheme, uncovered by hospital leadership, the State of New York stands accused of violating the terms of federal contracts by failing to fund the state's share of Medicaid payments from authorized sources," the Missouri congessman wrote.

"Substantiated evidence shows the transferring of money from NUMC's own accounts to the state. By law, this then enabled matching federal funds to be sent to the state," he added.


Burlison said NUMC has claimed that the funds were "transferred back to the state, requiring NUMC to effectively fund the State of New York's share itself."

In the letter, he referenced the NHCC lawsuit against New York to "prevent this illegal practice" from taking place in the future.

"Governor Kathy Hochul has now proposed changes in state law by means of their upcoming executive budget. The new law would allow the state to take the unprecedented step of assuming control of NUMC without any due process," he wrote. "This proposal appears to be an attempt to cover-up the state's theft of Medicaid funds by removing the leadership who exposed the State's malfeasance and assuming negligence on behalf of hospital."