Labour MPs found a loophole in the Government's online harms bill that would grant legal protection far-right extremists - and were targeted for horrific abuse.
They raised concerns about the “media exemption” in the forthcoming bill, which means social media firms don’t have to remove content published by news publishers.
But it’s feared far-right extremists and conspiracy theory websites, including Tommy Robinson, Rebel Media and others, would also be covered under the exemption.
Pontypridd MP Alex Davies Jones raised concerns about the apparent loophole while the bill was being debated by MPs in committee.
She told the Sunday Mirror: “Again and again Labour has raised concerns about loopholes in the Online Safety Bill that fail to protect children or our communities but this chaotic government has refused to act.
“Even worse, changes the government has introduced now risk giving the far right a free run on promoting their hate online.”
Bill Committees are usually only watched by a handful of people online, but within hours of raising the concerns, Ms Davies Jones’ comments had been spread through far-right communities on social media platforms including Gettr and Telegram.
Two days after her warning, Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, posted a video naming Ms Davies Jones, and accusing her of “trying to belittle” his “journalism.”
The comments underneath the video are a barrage of mysoginistic and offensive language, with one fan of Robinson’s saying: “The only good Labourite is the one swinging from a noose around the neck from a tree.”
And in the days that followed, Ms Davies-Jones said she was subjected to a deluge of abuse both directly to her social media accounts and email, including threats of violence and rape.
She told the Sunday Mirror one individual emailed her 40 times in a single day.
Ms Davies-Jones has passed the worst messages to the police and Commons authorities, but she said the social media platforms had been “useless.”
She said: “This is exactly what the Bill was supposed to protect against, but the government are turning a blind eye.
“There is no place in our society for far-right extremism, and the Government can, and must, do the right thing and listen to Labour’s urgent calls for change.”
A DCMS spokesperson said: "A free press is a pillar of our democratic society and recognised news organisations are not covered by this legislation. Platforms will also have to offer fast routes of appeal if they decide to remove journalistic content.
"However, this will not stop platforms removing harmful content from far right groups or individuals if they falsely claim to be journalists. The news publisher exemption only applies to organisations that meet criteria set out in the legislation."
