Washington / London — The administration of President Donald Trump has publicly criticised the UK government’s new Online Safety Act, warning that the legislation threatens free-speech and could place undue burdens on American technology companies.

In recent statements, U.S. officials — speaking on behalf of the administration — stated that they are watching developments in Britain with “great interest and concern,” suggesting that companies such as X, Meta, and other U.S.-based platforms might face “extraterritorial censorship”.

Lawmakers aligned with the president have floated the idea of a “united front” among American tech firms to resist what they view as heavy-handed regulation emerging from the UK and the EU.

Although the UK government under Prime Minister Starmer insists the Online Safety Act is designed to protect children from harmful material — not to broadly censor speech — the fundamental divide remains stark.

British ministers, including the parliamentary under-secretary for online safety, have repeatedly affirmed that the law will not be softened or traded away as part of any deal with the United States.

The confrontation underscores a growing transatlantic rift over how to regulate digital platforms: whether to prioritise protections from harm and disinformation, as the UK asserts, or to safeguard free-speech norms and corporate autonomy, as the U.S. administration argues.

For now, the law stands — but U.S. pressure signals more friction may lie ahead.