UK waters down internet rules plan after free speech outcry

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The British government has abandoned a plan to force tech firms to remove internet content that is harmful but legal, a proposal that drew strong criticism from lawmakers and civil liberties groups. The U.K. has watered down the Online Safety Bill,  an ambitious but controversial attempt to crack down on online racism, sexual abuse, bullying, fraud and other harmful material. Critics expressed concern that a requirement for big platforms like Google and Facebook to remove “legal but harmful” content could undermine free speech. Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said the plan has been dropped because it would have created “a quasi-legal category between illegal and legal.”