A cabinet minister has claimed Nigel Farage is on the side of Jimmy Savile and “extreme pornographers” following Reform UK’s pledge to scrap the Online Safety Act.
The technology secretary accused the Reform UK leader of wanting to “turn the clock back to the time when strange adults, strangers can get in touch via messaging apps with children”.
It comes after the party promised to scrap the Online Safety Act, dubbing it a “dystopian” infringement of free speech.
Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms such as social media sites and search engines must take steps to prevent children from accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Kyle said: “People have to understand the wild west that children have been living in for too long.
“That ended on my watch. It ended on the watch of this government.”
He added: “I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he’s going to overturn these laws. So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side.
“Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he’d be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he’s on their side.”
Asked to clarify his comments, Mr Kyle said: “Nigel Farage is on the side of turning the clock back to the time when strange adults, strangers can get in touch via messaging apps with children.”
The comments sparked a row on social media, with Mr Farage demanding the technology secretary apologise for the remarks.
“Peter Kyle’s comments on Sky News are disgusting. He should do the right thing and apologise”, he said.
But Mr Kyle declined to do so, posting to social media: “If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act, you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.”
Meanwhile, former chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost described the comments as “shameful”, adding: “What chance do we have of a proper debate about free speech if Labour ministers are going to resort to this?”
Mr Kyle’s comments came after Reform UK former party chairman, Zia Yusuf, said the Act, intended to reduce online harm, did “absolutely nothing to protect children” but worked to “suppress freedom of speech” and “force social media companies to censor anti-government speech”.
The new measures in the Online Safety Act include introducing age verification for websites and ensuring algorithms do not work to harm children by, for example, promoting such content towards them when online.
Failing to comply with the new rules could incur fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of a firm’s global turnover, whichever is greater.
