More than 60,000 arrested for 'communications offences' as trivial as 'viewing TikTok videos'

More than 60,000 people have been arrested for "communications offences" as trivial as watching offensive TikToks, according to a new report set to be published.Now a major free speech has broke out, with the findings described as "Orwellian".The report, by campaign group Big Brother Watch, also highlights the unbalanced implementation of rules on "malicious" messaging, with some forces making 14 times more arrests under the power than others.At least 62,199 people in Britain have been arrested for such offences in just the past five years - 18,150 were later charged and 12,292 convicted. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Campaigners admit some arrests are justifiable, such as intervening to stop threatening messages from abusive partners in domestic violence cases, but argue the broad scope of the law has resulted in police making unnecessary arrests.Lord Young, director of the Free Speech Union (FSU), wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "Why are the authorities spending so much time policing our tweets when they could be policing our streets?"Shoplifting, mobile phone theft and sexual offences are all on the rise, yet the police seem increasingly obsessed with catching thought criminals."The sheer number of people being arrested for online offences, even though only one in five end up being convicted, cannot help but have a chilling effect on free speech."Campaigners pointed to the case of West Midlands Police visiting the home of a teenage girl after she viewed a TikTok post containing a teacher's image with negative comments.The force later concluded the investigation as there was "insufficient evidence to prosecute anybody" in relation to the accusations.West Midlands Police also said the initial allegation was because "a fake social media account had been created in their name and had been used to send indecent messages".Last year, a Hertfordshire couple were arrested after they made complains about their daughter's primary school on a WhatsApp group chat.BRITAIN'S FREE SPEECH - READ MORE:White House slams Labour plan to force promotion of 'trustworthy' sources as 'censorship'Majority of Britons say free speech has deteriorated under Labour, bombshell new poll findsPolice 'bullies' turn up at Briton's door at 2am for interrogation over gender-critical blog postRosalind Levine and Maxie Allen were held for 11 hours under investigation for malicious communications and suspicion of harassment and later received £20,000 in damages.And Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months after being charged for inciting racial hatred over a tweet made in the wake of the Southport murders in July 2024.Last month, author Bernadette Spofforth told GB News she had been held by police for 36 hours after she too posted on social media after the vicious attack by Axel Rudakabana."People up and down the country daren't say what they think about a whole range of issues for fear they'll get a knock on their door at four in the morning by a couple of plainclothes officers wearing rainbow lanyards," Lord Young added.And Big Brother Watch said the "the elasticity of vaguely defined speech offences" had resulted in huge divergences between arrest rates.While Cumbria Police arrested 25.7 people per 10,000 over five years – around 2.5 times the national average – neighbouring Northumbria did so for just 1.9 people per 10,000.Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, told the Mail on Sunday: "There is mounting concern among the public that speech policing is out of control in Britain and it's long overdue that the government takes action."Andy Burnham must now launch a free speech reset and order an independent review of our laws and police training around speech, in order to fix this Orwellian mess."Thousands of people are being arrested for controversial speech, online jokes and non-violent protest. People have even been arrested for holding blank pieces of paper, and urged to take 'online thinking skills' courses by police. Enough is enough." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter