BitChute, a platform known for its dedication to free speech and open dialogue, has officially ceased its operations in the United Kingdom, citing unmanageable regulatory requirements imposed by the recently implemented Online Safety Act.
The decision is a direct response to the strengthened authority of the regulator Ofcom, which now has the capability to impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global revenue if it is found to be non-compliant with the Act’s comprehensive censorship regulations.
Ofcom has stated that in May 2022 a ‘far-right extremist’ carried out a racially motivated attack in Buffalo, New York. This attack was live-streamed on a number of platforms, including Bitchute.
Analysis by Ofcom “raised concerns that BitChute’s reporting and flagging measures were not effectively protecting users from encountering videos related to terrorism and other harmful material prohibited under the VSP regime. In particular, Ofcom was concerned that BitChute’s reporting function was not open to non-registered users, and that the capacity and coverage of BitChute’s content moderation team was insufficient to enable it to respond promptly to reports of harmful content.”
The change in the regulatory environment is perceived by some as a significant decline in digital liberties within the UK. BitChute’s choice may represent an initial indication of a larger trend, where other global platforms might also depart to escape the stringent regulations now established in British legislation.
“The significant change will be that this UK user-posted content will not be viewable by any other UK user but will be visible to other users outside of the UK.”
This effectively means that while UK-based creators are not entirely barred from participation, their voices are now digitally cordoned off from fellow citizens, a result of legal constraints rather than technical ones.
The BM Northern Bitchute channel is still available to view (as are the videos hosted on that platform which are embedded within posts on the BM Northern Region website) if you are using a VPN. Internet security software such as those developed by Symantec (Norton 360, etc) have a secure VPN built in which is available to subscribers.
Needless to say, British Movement videos will continue to appear on this site, although they will be hosted on a different platform.
Credits:
Main Image: Bitchute
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