New Ofcom Chief Wants Even More Authoritarian Powers To Control Speech

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:01]incoming chief of UK speech regulator takes aim at VPNs. Now, this is something that we did kind of all know was coming. Uh the incoming offcom chair's to-do list includes treating VPNs as obstacles, demanding new powers over YouTube and asking the Treasury for a bigger budget. Uh Ian Chesher, the government's pick to run the UK speech regulator, appeared before the Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee on Wed and laid out what amounts to an acceleration plan for online censorship.

[00:00:29]Because, excuse me, like I've said, like I've said very, very, very, very many times on the channel is basically the government hates the internet. It hates it and it wants to rain it right the [ __ ] in because basically it's an effective tool for telling on the government. If the government tries to like spew a lie, as it very very often does, the internet's a wonderful tool where people can go, "Well, that's complete [ __ ] and here's all the explanations as to why." And the government hates that because basically the internet is doing a wonderful, wonderful job at delegitimizing the idea of government itself for decades now because basically governments dodgy dodgy things all the time. They break their own laws all the [ __ ] time.

[00:01:11]They violate human rights all the [ __ ] time. They do that constantly.

[00:01:15]and they got away with it for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years because back then it was word of mouth or telegram or the old Mos code or like some or something like that. Whereas in these days if they [ __ ] up it's online in seconds and millions of people can see it. The government doesn't like that because stop telling on us it's making the people want to boo up against us. So the government hates that. The government knows that the internet is an enormous risk to itself. So basically it wants to control it. And like it or not, if we have keep this current system the way it is, that is going to happen. That is going to happen because whenever the government tables a law, there is nothing we can do about it. Oh, we'll vote in another MP next year. And then the other MP goes down and he goes, "Oh, I'll totally get rid of that law." And then he gets taken into the back room and the men in suits go, "Here's how things work. You're going to do as you're [ __ ] told." And the MP will go, "Oh, sorry, guys." And then everyone goes, "Don't worry. We could try again in 4 years. See what I mean? Uh anyway, uh he pledged to take on the big tech bros, branded VPNs as a technical problem, identified YouTube is needing a whole new set of regulatory powers. So basically, they're wanting to regulate YouTube, and hinted that offcom will ask the Treasury for more funding. Before the hearing, Cheshure had reached out to the Molly Rose Foundation because I wanted to understand its perspective. He had quite deliberately not met any mainstream tech companies. The foundation pardon has called offcom slow, defensive and risk averse and demanded a new broader censorship law within the first two years of this parliament. Yay. Even more laws controlling the internet and freedom of speech and violating human rights.

[00:02:57]Basically, if this guy does that, then he should be put in front of a human rights tribunal and sent to prison for a very long time. We're done. I'm done messing around. you violate human rights, you end up in front of a tribunal, judged by the very people whose rights you violated. That's what's going to happen. It's either that or the lamp post. You can you can make your decision, right? Cuz basically, this is all going to come to your head one day.

[00:03:18]Basically, think of every single death spot that's ever existed in history.

[00:03:22]What happened to them?

[00:03:25]What happened to them in every single case? In every single case, right?

[00:03:29]either murdered or either completely [ __ ] murdered or in exile where they died a slow death of irrelevancy. And believe it or not, the best thing that happened to them was the exile. Uh where was I? The companies that might have raised concerns about overreach, Cheshure chose not to hear from them. Of course, not interested. Not interested.

[00:03:50]It's the same as like the government offers that little uh what's the term?

[00:03:55]that little placebo of we're about to pass a law, but here's a link where you can submit your thoughts and tell your MPs how you feel about this law and then you'll write your big angry comment and you'll send it away and it sits in a server and no one [ __ ] reads it, right? Cuz that little thing is just meant to be an outlet. See that little let us hear what you think. Like that's just a little pressure valve. That's all that is. Little pressure valve just to take the edge off. They don't read them.

[00:04:22]Nothing that you send them. Nothing you do. No [ __ ] like, "Oh, we will you will you sign will you sign our petition?" And like none of that achieves a single [ __ ] thing as a pressure valve, right? None of it achieves a single thing, right?

[00:04:35]Basically, whatever they're tableabling, they're going to do. They're going to do no matter what you say or do about it, right? Welcome to government. There's a word for that type of government, but anyway, on VPNs, he told MPs, "Parli has chosen to legislate on online safety.

[00:04:49]Therefore, we should be acting on it."

[00:04:51]That is subject to the joys of VPNs and the other technical problems that we have. But there is no reason not to go after the key harms that are there. As soon as they are visible, there is no reason why we cannot do something about them. VPNs are legal privacy tools used by millions of people. Calling them technical problems tells you how the incoming chair views individual privacy relative to the state's power to police speech. To a growing number of bureaucrats, privacy tools aren't part of rights to be protected. They are obstacles. And that mindset tells you everything that you need to know about them. Everyone has a right to privacy.

[00:05:28]Everyone has a right to privacy. You don't have to have any information out there that you don't want out there, right? Like people go, "It's in the public interest." Blah, blah, blah. No, no, no, no, no. Right. If I if you don't want a company or anybody knowing who you are or like what you're up to, that's your right. That that is your right. Okay. I will be fair like VPNs are used for a lot of illegal activity and stuff like that which is yeah bit of an issue. It's a little bit of an issue like like for example like to h to originally was designed I think it was I think it was originally don't quote me on this I might be getting this completely wrong. It was a very very long time ago. I read up on this but I think it was originally an American Navy project.

[00:06:08]I think I think that's wrong. In fact that's probably wrong. Don't listen to me. Right. But basically and everybody whenever you think of tor you think of the deep web and everything the first thing that comes into your head is ah drugs and child porn that's that's just the first thing that pops into your head however it is also very widely used by political dissidents all over the world especially people who are under extremely authoritarian governments right so there has to be a workaround a workaround so that people can get the information out there of here's the stuff that's really happening in the country this and that's happening the government's doing this and that don't believe This this is a complete lie. And the unfortunate thing is despite all the horrible things that VPNs and to everything's used for, that stuff's too crucial. That stuff's way too crucial.

[00:06:52]Basically, the the truth the truth is far too crucial. But holy [ __ ] the price we are paying. Like, oh, is it is it right? Is it wrong? That's again, that's a conversation for mine's greater than mine, right? But basically, uh anyway, let's get on with the rest of the article. Ofcom already monitors UKVPN usage using an unnamed third party tool and a group of peers has proposed banning under 18s from using VPNs entirely. Cheshure told the committee that Ofcom will need to deal with the perception that Offcom is too timid and not moving fast enough. The online safety act already lets Offcom compel platforms to censor content under vague categories of harm that the regulator defines. So basically, yeah, there's things that harm children. Now, there are there is definitely online content that absolutely does harm children.

[00:07:41]Like, absolutely 100%. However, like I've said very very many times, the law is very very vague because the government loves a vague law because when it goes to court, the law can mean whatever the [ __ ] they need it to mean in the moment, right? That's why laws are purposely so vague. Basically, look at the way laws are drafted these days to the way that they were drafted in the old days. Look at them. Look at them.

[00:08:04]Laws in the old days were so [ __ ] specific, very very specific and descriptive. Whereas these days, it's just like it's now illegal to do bad thing.

[00:08:16]Can't do bad thing. Can't do bad thing anymore. And then if you go, well, what's bad thing? Whatever I need it to be in the moment. Are you rightwing?

[00:08:25]Then it's everything you do. Absolutely everything that you do. uh he singled out YouTube as the biggest single challenge and suggested Offcom may need a different toolkit to regulate effectively something like YouTube. So basically people keep making videos bitching about the government and pointing out all of our crimes against humanity and we want that to stop. We're sick of it. You mean like me? Yeah, I'm going to keep tailing on you. Yeah, I ain't no snitch. Unless it's the government. I'll snitch on you all the [ __ ] time. I'll snitch on you to [ __ ] everyone. I'll tell your grand what you're [ __ ] up to, right? If you work for the government, [ __ ] you. I'm going to snitch on you. H the OSA's codes of practice are still being rolled out. Ofcom hasn't finished writing the existing rules and the incoming chair is already signaling they won't be enough.

[00:09:13]Full little Timot tyrant. I'm the big man in charge and I'm fully authoritarian. Blah blah blah blah blah.

[00:09:18]Like [ __ ] I hope Preston Burn has a field day with this [ __ ] guy. Uh, Treasure also endorsed extending prominence legislation into you uh to YouTube, using law to push state funded broadcaster content ahead of whatever YouTube's audience actually chooses to watch. Holy [ __ ] Holy [ __ ] That is some North Korea [ __ ] That is full on North state media front and center.

[00:09:44]That is the only truth. That is full on North Korea [ __ ] Holy [ __ ] man. on funding. He said, "Ofcom should be very demanding of itself about whether it really has the resources and that the Treasury may get a gentle request to raise the cap. More money means more staff, more surveillance tools, and a larger apparatus for policing speech online." His description of how he'd approached tech companies was pretty blunt. persuading them that they need to change. Persuading Persuading them that they need to change and then being able to present a stick if they do not change.

[00:10:21]At least this guy's an honest authoritarian. I'll give him that. Most of them lie and try. I love free speech.

[00:10:28]But like this guy's just honest. I like that. I'm sorry. I like it. See the people I like online. See the communists that are like that to me. When I get the chance, I'm going to kill you. I like him. I like a man where I know where I stand with him. I like I like that. I like honesty. Like I'll hang around even if a person hates me. See if they're fully honest with me. I appreciate that.

[00:10:49]I like that. I like knowing exactly where I stand with a man. At least I'll give this guy this. He's honest about being an authoritarian prick, right?

[00:10:57]With a tiny penis, right? All authoritarians have tiny penises, right?

[00:11:00]But basically, like I just I'll admire the honesty. I admire the honesty coming out as authoritarian in this day and age. Oh, [ __ ] How brave. But anyway, uh where was I? The stick if they do not change because the quickest way to affect millions of people is to get the big platforms to change their behavior.

[00:11:19]So basically, if we can get all the platforms to start pushing our message, we can then propagandize people back onto the plantation.

[00:11:28]Again, at least he's being honest. He sees platforms as levers. change a platform's behavior and you reshape the information environment for millions of users at once. And when you do that, when you reshape a person's information environment, you can then influence what they believe. And that's the key here.

[00:11:48]That's that's another key here. I probably should have said that at the start. Yeah, the government doesn't like being snatched on and all that type of stuff as well. But the old but the overarching broad thing that that is encompassed in is influencing people's beliefs. Basically, media and the internet and lots of things are propaganda tools. They're very, very effective propaganda tools. And that is what the government wants and what it definitely needs right now because opinion of government in general, whether it be Tories, Labor, or [ __ ] whatever, is in the [ __ ] pits. People are out protesting all the time. There are people doing things to try certain parties to try and overthrow the government. They don't like that and they're panicking. Basically like one one thing I've always said is democracy was originally invented and applied all over Europe as oh fascism was really really bad actually. So, we've got the First World War to get rid of the monarchies, those pesky little monarchies, right? And then World War II came around and went, "Oh, guys, look at that. Powerful governments are really, really bad. We should have democracy and it will prevent prevent us from becoming like huge big authoritarian governments cuz they're really really bad." When democracy just over time becomes an authoritarian government just very very slowly so people don't really notice.

[00:12:59]Basically, the frog in the pot. That's what it is. Basically, democracy is frogging the pot authoritarianism. That That is all it is. Uh where was I? The USA's categories of harm are broad enough to catch journalism, satire, and political speech. Yep, that's true.

[00:13:16]Basically, when you've got when you when the law's vague, it can mean whatever the [ __ ] you want. Basically, if you can present any kind of argument where, oh, he was browsing right-wing content online, and I don't even mean Nazi stuff. He was raising some stuff where we should deport migrants and stuff and because we're leftwing and we staff all of the social services and all that stuff, we are obviously going to view that as harmful.

[00:13:37]Therefore, the person who posted it has committed an offense. Do you see what I mean? Like that's that's it. Basically, all the people in these positions, they're all leftwing. So, of course, they're going to see anything right-wing as bad and harmful, right? This Oh, [ __ ] hell. I love my country. Uh, who decides where the line falls? Offcom.

[00:13:57]Who reviews the decision before the content disappears? Nobody, right? Tinpoint tyrant [ __ ] right?

[00:14:04]But basically, when it comes to there are things on the internet that basically are very, very harmful to children, right? How do you solve that?

[00:14:10]Parent them. Have a look at what your children are doing online. Get up off your ass. Go through their [ __ ] devices. Have a look at absolutely everything, right? and make sure that they're not talking to some 40-year-old man or [ __ ] browsing porn or watching gore videos or something like that.

[00:14:26]Parent your [ __ ] child. That's how you get around it. Not instead of I'm going to sit in the couch and do absolutely [ __ ] all and the government please. Ah, I don't want to get off the couch and go check my child's computer.

[00:14:36]A so can we just like I don't know take away everybody's human rights instead.

[00:14:40]Like get up off your [ __ ] ass. Get up off your [ __ ] ass and do it yourself.

[00:14:44]The government is not your parent, right? It's not your [ __ ] nanny as much as it wants to be a [ __ ] nanny state. Right? Get up off your ass and do what you're supposed to be doing. Right?

[00:14:53]And the thing is they're going, "Oh, we're going to ban VPNs just for under 18s. Just for under 18s, we're going to ban VPNs. You're [ __ ] ass. Every time a law comes in, it's a foot in the door.

[00:15:04]It's a foot in the door. Then suddenly it's a shin, then it's a knee, then it's a leg, and then it's the whole thing, and then it's the whole body. And they've got you bent over your bed, and they're [ __ ] you up the ars. No lube.

[00:15:12]and you have to pay them for the satisfaction of doing it because they have a right to your money apparently as well. Right. Basically, this is an absolute [ __ ] farce. And of course, some little [ __ ] authoritarian who probably doesn't even see anyone that's this age has no idea how the internet even works. That's what that's basically been our only saving grace why we've all managed to survive this long because all these places are staffed by boomers who have no [ __ ] idea how the internet works. They have no clue. They vote on this legislation not even knowing how to [ __ ] open and save a word document, right? They they have no [ __ ] clue.

[00:15:45]That's the only thing that's kept all of us alive so far. But basically, the next generation of lefties, they have a very good idea of how the internet works. So, we need to move fast, gentlemen, before they get in.