Topic: Nadine Dorries

The UK Online Safety Bill is analyzed for its "harmful communications" offense, which could criminalize speech intended to cause "extreme psychological distress." Concerns are raised that subjective definitions of harm will be used to jail comedians or individuals who misgender others online. The discussion touches on the history of internet censorship in Germany and the "Howard Stern sickness" of excessive profanity in modern podcasting.

The UK's Yellow Card scheme has recorded over 1.1 million adverse injury reports and 1,645 deaths related to COVID-19 vaccines. Unlike in the U.S., UK newspapers can publish these figures without direct pharmaceutical advertiser interference. However, Nadine Dorries, the UK Secretary of State, confirmed that a "misinformation and disinformation unit" works daily with online providers to remove harmful content regarding vaccinations.