We are closing this blog shortly but you can read the report here by my colleague, Kiran Stacey
Government 'fully committed to free speech' after campaigners' US visa ban
The UK government said it is “fully committed to upholding the right to free speech”, after two campaigners working to prevent the spread of online hate and disinformation was barred from entering the US.
Chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) Imran Ahmed, who has links to senior Labour figures, and Clare Melford, head of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI), are among five Europeans affected.
A UK government spokesperson said:
The UK is fully committed to upholding the right to free speech.
“While every country has the right to set its own visa rules, we support the laws and institutions which are working to keep the internet free from the most harmful content.
“Social media platforms should not be used to disseminate child sex abuse material, incite hatred and violence, or spread fake information and videos for that purpose.”
US secretary of state Marco Rubio had accused the five Europeans of leading “efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose”.
Updated
