Nigel Farage is “on the side” of predators like Jimmy Savile with his criticism of the Online Safety Act, the technology secretary has suggested.
Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said Reform UK’s policy of repealing online safety laws means Farage has taken the side of “people out there who are extreme pornographers peddling hate, peddling violence”.
Under the new requirements, which came into effect last week, social media companies and websites need to meet strict rules – including “robust” age checks to prevent access to pornography.
Reform UK has pledged to scrap the Online Safety Act, which it has labelled a “massive overreach” that risks plunging the United Kingdom into a “borderline dystopian state”.
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“Any student of history will know that the way countries slip into this sort of authoritarian regime is through legislation that cloaks tyranny inside the warm fuzz of safety and security and hopes nobody reads the small print”, former Reform chair and prominent spokesperson Zia Yusuf told a press conference on Monday.
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The government has now hit back, with Kyle telling Sky News that Farage and Reform are “on the side” of predators.
The technology secretary said: “Children under 18 should not be viewing involuntarily dangerous, hateful, violent, misogynistic and pornographic material. People have to understand the wild west [lasted online] for too long. That ended on my watch. It ended on the watch of this government.
“[The Online Safety Act] is a big step forward. Believe me, anyone that thinks it’s a step back needs to come and answer now.”
He added: “I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he’s going to overturn these laws. So 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, not the side of children.”
Pressed on whether he was genuinely arguing Reform policy is aligned with the likes of Jimmy Savile, Kyle doubled down.
The cabinet minister continued: “When it comes to online activity, we have seen unfettered access of adults to children via social media. When we put in the age verification, it stops strange adults getting in touch with children …
“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. We have now asked [social media companies] to age verify the age at which people can have access to online content so we can protect children from unwanted, dangerous content, and also those messaging services.
“Nigel Farage wants to turn the clock right back. People are perpetrating more crime online, [presenting] more danger to children online, and Nigel Farage has said he wants to overturn every single one of the laws that keeps children safe in our country.”
Farage has since demanded an apology from Kyle, describing his comments as “disgusting.”
The Reform UK leader posted to X (formerly Twitter): “Peter Kyle‘s comments on Sky News are disgusting. He should do the right thing and apologise.”
Kyle responded: “If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.”
Meanwhile, Yusuf has said that Kyle’s remarks amount to “one of the most appalling and disgusting things I have seen in the political arena in my lifetime and I think it is upon him to apologise.”
Josh Self is editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here and X here.
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