UK Refuses to Weaken Online Censorship Laws Despite US Pressure
Britain reaffirms its commitment to stringent online censorship, rejecting any compromises in the face of US trade talks or political pressure.
By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | February 16, 2025
The UK government has firmly stated that its online censorship laws will not be softened to appease US President Donald Trump or to facilitate trade negotiations with the United States. Technology Minister Peter Kyle repeated Britain’s stance on maintaining strict digital speech regulations, shutting down any speculation of a shift in policy toward American AI firms.
During the Paris AI summit, Kyle dismissed claims that Downing Street was considering relaxing sections of the Online Safety Act in discussions with the US. Refuting a report from The Daily Telegraph, he asserted: “Safety is not up for negotiation. There are no plans to weaken any of our online safety legislation.”
The Online Safety Act, one of the strictest online speech crackdowns in a democratic nation, is set to come into force this year.
Industry moguls such as Elon Musk have voiced hopes that a Trump-led administration might resist global regulatory pressures on US-based tech companies.
Despite these concerns, Kyle expressed confidence that Trump would not obstruct Labour’s forthcoming AI legislation, which mandates that leading AI firms undergo “safety” evaluations before rolling out new software. He confirmed that voluntary safety pledges would now be replaced with enforceable mandates, ensuring strict compliance.
Israeli troops used 80-year-old Palestinian as human shield in Gaza before killing him
Press TV – February 16, 2025
Israeli forces have tied explosives around the neck of an elderly Palestinian man in the Gaza Strip and forced him to act as a “human shield” before killing him and his wife, according to an investigation by Israeli media.
The Israeli news website HaMakom revealed that the incident took place last May when Israeli soldiers from several different brigades amassed near the house of a Palestinian couple, both in their 80s, in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.
“Fighters who were with the force at the time of the incident… said that in one of the houses in the neighborhood that the force cleared, an elderly Palestinian couple in their 80s was present,” the report said.
“They said they had nowhere to run, and that they could not evacuate to Khan Yunis. The man was walking with a walking stick and they said they simply would not be able to walk all the way there.”
The report added that the Nahal Brigade, the Carmeli Brigade and the Multidimensional Unit, decided to use the elderly Palestinian man, who was not named in reports, as a “human shield.”
An Israeli soldier told HaMakom that after explosives were placed around the Palestinian man’s neck, he was told “that if he does something wrong or not the way we want, the person behind him will pull the rope and his head will detach from the body.”
The soldier added, “That’s how he walked around with us for eight hours, even though he’s an 80-year-old man and even though he couldn’t run away from us. And that’s knowing that there’s a soldier behind him who can pull the rope at any second – and he’s done.”
According to the report, after the elderly Palestinian was forced to enter homes and tunnel allegedly used by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, the soldiers ordered him and his wife to leave the area for al-Mawasi, a small area that was just 1km wide and was being used to house hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
However, it added, no other battalions were informed that the couple would be making their way south and within 100 meters of being allowed to leave they were both shot dead.
“They died like that, in the street,” another soldier was quoted as saying.
The report highlighted that the decision to use the elderly man as a human shield was part of a long-standing tactic called the “mosquito protocol” which involves Israeli soldiers ordering Palestinians to enter potentially booby-trapped locations – houses, tunnels, and other structures – ahead of the regime’s troops.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in August that the Israeli occupation army had repeatedly used innocent Palestinians to enter homes and tunnels in its war on Gaza.
During the 15 months of the Israeli regime’s genocidal war against the people of Gaza that began in October 2023, over 48,000 Palestinians were killed, most of them children and women.
Amid severe shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and medical supplies due to deliberate restrictions, the Israeli war on Gaza has forcibly displaced almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
On January 15, the Israeli regime, having failed to achieve any of its war objectives including the “elimination” of Hamas or the release of captives, was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with the Gaza-based resistance movement.
‘Israel’ targeting police officers in Rafah violates ceasefire: Hamas
Al Mayadeen | February 16, 2025
Hamas has denounced an Israeli drone strike that targeted police officers in Rafah this Sunday morning, killing three officers. The attack occurred while the officers were securing the entry of humanitarian aid, and Hamas has labeled it a “serious violation” of the ceasefire agreement currently in place.
In an official statement, the movement reiterated its belief that “Israel’s” actions show a deliberate disregard for the terms of the ceasefire. Hamas pointed out that “Israel” had promised to allow the entry of caravans and heavy machinery to Gaza but failed to follow through, as evidenced by their announcement today that these supplies would be denied entry. This breach adds to “Israel’s” ongoing failure to maintain the truce, according to the Palestinian movement.
The statement also criticized “Israel’s” delay in beginning the second phase of negotiations, casting doubt on its commitment to the agreement brokered by international mediators. Hamas further accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing the peace process, using the time to continue military aggression and pursue policies that could lead to further war crimes.
Hamas condemned the attack and all other violations of the ceasefire and humanitarian protocols, holding “Israel” fully responsible for the repercussions. The movement called on international mediators to step in and pressure “Israel” to fulfill its commitments, including stopping its violations of the ceasefire, implementing the full humanitarian protocol, and immediately starting the second phase of peace talks.
Israeli violations tantamount to agreement failure: Gaza Media Office
In a similar vein, Salama Maarouf, the Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza said earlier today that “Israel’s” refusal to allow the entry of mobile homes and heavy equipment to Gaza constitutes a clear violation of its commitments under the ceasefire agreement and its accompanying humanitarian protocol.
In statements to Al Mayadeen, Maarouf emphasized that “Israel’s” refusal is tantamount to declaring the failure of the ceasefire agreement, despite the Palestinian Resistance’s commitment to its obligations as long as the occupation upholds its own.
He added that the Israeli occupation’s actions are clear proof to the world which party is obstructing the agreement, underscoring the need for mediators to intervene and pressure “Israel” to fulfill its commitments.
Maarouf also highlighted that “the catastrophic living conditions endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza due to the genocide and humanitarian crisis cannot withstand further delays, evasion, or obstruction of the entry of shelter materials and other essential supplies.”
The Palestinian official urged mediators and the international community to assume their responsibilities, respond immediately to Gaza’s urgent needs, and put an end to the ongoing suffering by compelling “Israel” to cease its violations and its exploitation of the plight of 2.4 million people in Gaza.
The Government Media Office in Gaza has repeatedly pointed out that “Israel” continues to stall and delay the implementation of the humanitarian protocol, while the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates at an alarming rate.
Despite the entry of 801 aid trucks into the besieged Gaza Strip on Wednesday, humanitarian organizations warn that “Israel” continues to severely limit the flow of essential supplies, in violation of the ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the aid deliveries were made “through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.” However, the agency cautioned that restrictions remain stringent, particularly on critical supplies like fuel and medical equipment.
It is noteworthy that Hamas intended to postpone the prisoner exchange set for February 15 due to the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement before mediators intervened to overcome obstacles hindering the completion of the implementation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. The violations include Palestinians being shot at, tanks trespassing the permitted distance, and preventing the entry of heavy equipment, medical supplies, and caravans.
Osasuna fans call for expelling ‘Israel’ from FIFA, UEFA

Al Mayadeen | February 16, 2025
Fans of Spain’s La Liga joined the wave of pro-Palestine protests sweeping European football stadiums during Saturday night’s match between Osasuna and Real Madrid.
During the game, Osasuna supporters displayed a banner reading, “Show ‘Israel’ the red card,” mirroring a similar sign waved by Scotland Celtic’s fans during Wednesday’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich. Both messages called for “Israel’s” suspension from FIFA and UEFA over its war on the Gaza Strip.
Attention now turns to the Spanish League and how it will respond to the Osasuna supporters.
The Green Brigade, a prominent Celtic fan organization, urged football supporters worldwide to demand “Israel’s” exclusion from international competitions. In a statement on the X platform, the group announced: “At the start of the second half we will wave the sign calling on UEFA and FIFA to suspend Israel from all activity. We call on you to do the right thing, and join soccer fans around the world who support this message.”
“‘Israel’ is committing genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. In the last 15 months, at least 382 Palestinian footballers and 235 other athletes have been killed, including 96 children and 286 youths. The Israeli occupation has destroyed 147 football facilities and 140 other sports venues across Palestine. These crimes have no place in our beautiful game,” the Celtic fans wrote.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is expected to launch an investigation and impose sanctions on Celtic over its fans’ actions, likely including a financial penalty, as it has done in similar cases in the past.
Medvedev applauds Vance’s ‘humiliating rebuke’ of Europe
RT | February 15, 2025
The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has hailed US Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, calling it a rare moment of American honesty about Europe’s weaknesses and Vance himself “a brave guy.”
In his speech on Friday, Vance touched on the migration crisis, security, freedom of speech, and apparent democratic backsliding on the continent.
Medvedev said Vance “unexpectedly lit up” the conference, calling his remarks a harsh but truthful indictment of modern Europe.
“Everyone expected to hear the usual partner-like curtseys to Europe and comments on Donald Trump’s words about the end of the Ukrainian conflict. But he went and harshly scolded the Europeans who have completely lost themselves in recent years: your democracy is weak, your elections are crap, your rules that violate normal human morality are crap,” Medvedev wrote.
He added that the Europeans would retaliate against him if he did not hold such a high post. “However, they will forgive him; they will begrudgingly accept the humiliating rebuke from their senior partner with resentment,” Medvedev concluded.
Vance was particularly severe in his indictment of European democracy. He voiced concerns over the erosion of democratic values in Europe, drawing attention to the annulment of the presidential election in Romania. The first round in November saw right-wing anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu come out on top with 22.94%, beating liberal leftist and social democrat candidates. Romania’s top court cited intelligence documents alleging “irregularities” in his campaign performance in making their ruling, although the validity of that evidence has been questioned.
The US vice president also cautioned against rising censorship in the region, told European member-states to take greater responsibility for their own defense, and raised the alarm over mass migration.
US President Donald Trump praised Vance’s speech as “brilliant.” However, some European officials were not so keen on the address. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas warned that it signaled growing transatlantic tension. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius meanwhile, blasted the remarks, calling them “not acceptable.”
On the other hand, Russian Senator Alexander Shenderyuk-Zhidkov described Vance’s statements as a “cold shower” for European Russophobes.
Judge Pauses Murthy v. Missouri Amid Trump’s Free Speech Order
By Dan Frieth | Reclaim The Net | February 13, 2025
A federal judge has temporarily halted proceedings in Murthy v. Missouri, a case central to efforts aimed at curbing government involvement in online censorship, following a Supreme Court decision that declined to address the case’s core arguments.
On Tuesday, US District Judge Terry Doughty approved a motion from the defendants — former President Joe Biden and key administration officials — to stay the case. According to Jenin Younes, litigation counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, the pause was granted in light of former President Donald Trump’s recent executive order titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship.”
We obtained a copy of the order for you here.
“The government suggested that we move to stay discovery,” Younes told The Federalist. “They want to put in a statement about what effect they think the executive order has. I’m guessing they’re going to say it makes the case moot.”
If the judge agrees, the case could be dismissed as moot after President Trump’s new order. While plaintiffs went along with the stay to allow the judge time to review, Younes noted that the broader concern over government-driven censorship remains a live issue.
“We haven’t staked out our position yet, but there are arguments against mootness,” she said. “Especially if there’s a chance that could happen again and the executive order won’t necessarily be binding on a subsequent administration.”
Initially known as Missouri v. Biden, the lawsuit—brought by the states of Missouri and Louisiana—accused Biden administration officials of working with Big Tech to suppress online speech. The case unearthed extensive evidence showing how federal agencies collaborated with private platforms to censor topics ranging from The New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story to alternative viewpoints on the COVID-19 vaccine.
German Court Orders X to Share Data with Researchers Ahead of National Vote
By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | February 13, 2025
With a ruling that raises serious concerns about government-endorsed monitoring of online speech, a German court has ordered Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, to provide researchers with data to track so-called “election-swaying” information. The decision, handed down by the Berlin district court, follows an urgent complaint filed by two civil rights organizations demanding access to platform analytics ahead of Germany’s national election on February 23.
The court justified its ruling by arguing that “waiting any longer for access to the data would undermine the applicants’ research project since the period immediately before the election is crucial.” X had reportedly failed to respond to a request for information, leading the court to rule against the company and order it to pay €6,000 ($6,255) in legal costs.
The GFF and Democracy Reporting International claim that under European law, platforms like X must provide structured, easily searchable access to information about post reach, shares, and likes.
While this data is already publicly available, albeit requiring manual collection, activists insist that X should make it more accessible to their research efforts — effectively demanding that the platform do its work for them.
With this ruling, X is now compelled to provide this data from now until shortly after the election, a move that could open the door for further demands to police speech under the guise of fighting “disinformation.” The broad and subjective nature of what constitutes “misinformation” raises concerns about selective enforcement, particularly given the German government’s increasingly aggressive stance toward online speech regulation.
Given the timing of the ruling and the increasing pressure on social media platforms to police political speech, this case highlights the growing tension between free expression and state-backed efforts to control online speech.
Larry Ellison Pushes for AI-Powered National Data Centralization and Mass Surveillance
By Didi Rankovic | Reclaim The Net | February 14, 2025
Oracle co-founder and the company’s executive chairman and chief technology officer Larry Ellison is trying to persuade governments to descend deep into AI-powered surveillance dystopia by centralizing the entirety of their national data in a single place.
And when he says everything should go into this “unified” database, Ellison means everything. That includes health-related data, such as diagnostic and genomic information, electronic health records, DNA, data on agriculture, climate, utility infrastructure…
Once in there, it would be used to train AI models, such as those developed by Oracle – Ellison shared with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair during a panel at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
As for why any government would do such a thing – his “sell” is that it would allow AI to be used to provide better services. But this time, he left out how this centralization would also represent an exceptional opportunity to “turbocharge” mass government surveillance, even though there is little doubt that many governments are hearing him loud and clear on that point as well.
In September, Ellison wasn’t so coy regarding this angle when he spoke in favor of introducing real-time population surveillance. And naturally, that would be done with Oracle’s machine learning tech.
“As long as countries will put their data – all of it – in a single place we can use AI to help manage the care of all of the patients and the population at large,” Ellison told Blair.
As over the top, as all this may sound, Ellison appears to figuratively and literally mean business: he revealed that his company is building a 2.2 gigabyte data center to train AI models and spending “between 50 and 100 billion dollars” on these endeavors.
And, he suggested that massive amounts of data would not be the only thing centralized in a handful of places, going forward – the same is true of the AI model training, because of the high price tag attached.
In other words, Ellison’s vision of the future is complete control over everyone’s data in the hands of governments and a select number of super-rich companies capable of building and running this infrastructure for them.
Ellison also told Blair about Oracle’s AI-powered biometric ID that’s currently used only to log into the company’s system:
“The computer recognizes you. It recognizes your voice. It might ask you to put your index finger on the return key. And we know, we’re absolutely certain it’s you. There’s no reason to enter a password.”
House panel seeks Columbia Palestine protesters’ disciplinary records

Al Mayadeen | February 14, 2025
The US House Committee on Education and the Workforce demanded Columbia University turn over disciplinary records by the end of this month for students who participated in anti-“Israel” protests between April and January 2024, denouncing the Ivy League University’s handling of the students.
The House panel sent a six-page letter to the university leadership saying that the university failed to deliver its promise to students, faculty, and Congress that it’d address “anti-semitism”, saying that “Columbia’s continued failure to address the pervasive anti-semitism that persists on campus is untenable, particularly given that the university receives billions in federal funding.”
The letter cites the protesters taking over the campus last year, and students disrupting an Israeli professor’s lecture this semester. The letter adds that Columbia failed to properly discipline those responsible, which created a “hostile environment for members of Columbia’s Jewish communities.”
Trump cracks down on student protesters
Students across major universities in the US launched anti-war, pro-Palestine protests across the country, setting up solidarity encampments, with some students calling for their universities to cut ties with “Israel.”
Trump signed an executive order that allows the US government to use “all available and appropriate legal tools to combat anti-semitism, including prosecuting and deporting those accused of anti-Semitic harassment,” with the order targeting pro-Palestine student protesters.
The current US president vowed to expel student protesters from the United States and get rid of pro-Palestine protests to a group of donors saying, “One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave.”
American-Zionist group World Betar compiled a list of names of students on Visas to send to Trump to deport them for joining in anti-“Israel” protests after the group launched a campaign to identify these students.
Columbia professor, NYU students persecuted over pro-Palestine activism
Earlier last month, Katherine Franke, a law professor and outspoken supporter of pro-Palestine students, parted ways with Columbia University on January 11, following an investigation into comments she made about Israeli students. This marked the consequence of activism surrounding Gaza on a major university campus amid the ongoing Israeli genocide.
Franke, a tenured professor, had supported pro-Palestine students amid protests at the university last year. She was one of several faculty members investigated for alleged anti-semitism.
She described her departure as “a termination dressed up in more palatable terms,” stating in a Friday statement that she agreed to leave due to Columbia becoming a “toxic and hostile environment.” Columbia University spokesperson Samantha Slater confirmed that a complaint had been filed accusing Franke of discriminatory harassment in violation of university policies, leading to an investigation.
The Center for Constitutional Rights, a nonprofit legal group, condemned the end of Franke’s career at Columbia as an “egregious attack on both academic freedom and Palestinian rights advocacy.”
In a related context, more than a dozen NYU students and faculty distributed flyers and hung banners throughout the Bobst Library, while 13 individuals staged a sit-in on the library’s administrative floor.
The protesters were demanding a meeting with university administrators, who had previously promised to reveal details of the university’s endowment, including investments in weapons manufacturers and companies linked to “Israel” and its occupation of Palestine, during the spring Gaza solidarity encampment movement.
Lawyer visits Dr. Abu Safiya, reveals his exposure to torture and abuse

Palestinian Information Center – February 12, 2025
GAZA – Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights said its lawyer was able on Tuesday to visit Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya for the first time since he was kidnaped from the Gaza Strip 47 days ago.
“Around 3:00 p.m. today, al-Mezan’s lawyer visited Dr. Abu Safiya in Ofer prison, located in the unlawfully occupied West Bank. During the visit, Dr. Abu Safiya detailed the various forms of torture and abuse to which he has been subjected both during his unlawful arrest and throughout his arbitrary detention by Israeli forces and authorities,” al-Mezan explained in a statement on Tuesday.
“When he was captured from Gaza and transferred to the Sde Teiman military detention camp, he was subjected to various forms of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment — methods that are emblematic of Israeli mass arrest operations in Gaza,” al-Mezan said.
Dr. Abu Safiya told the lawyer that he was being forcibly stripped, having his hands tightly shackled, and being made to sit on sharp gravel for approximately five hours by Israeli forces.
He was also subjected to severe physical abuse, including beatings with batons and electric shock sticks, as well as repeated blows to the chest, according to the lawyer.
“In Ofer prison, where he was transferred on January 9, 2025, he was held in solitary confinement for 25 days — a period so prolonged as to constitute a form of torture in itself. During this time, he endured nearly continuous interrogation for 10 days. At one point, he lost consciousness in his cell due to severe breathing difficulties,” the lawyer said.
“During interrogation, Dr. Abu Safiya was confronted with accusations that he firmly denied, stressing that he is a doctor whose sole duty is to provide medical care to patients and the wounded,” the lawyer added.
The detained doctor also reported a severe decline in his health, with his weight dropping from 96 kilograms to 84 kilograms, a 12-kilogram loss in less than two months — further evidence of Israel’s systematic starvation policies against Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Additionally, Abu Safiya disclosed that he suffers from heart muscle enlargement. Despite repeatedly requesting medical attention from Israeli authorities, he has been systematically denied access to a specialist examination and deprived of essential care, further endangering his already deteriorating condition.
Al-Mezan has unequivocally condemned “the torture and other grave human rights abuses inflicted upon Dr. Abu Safiya by Israeli forces and authorities.”
Al-Mezan has urged the international community, particularly Israel’s allies, to take immediate action to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Abu Safiya, as well as of all Palestinians who have been unlawfully and arbitrarily detained by Israeli authorities, including hundreds of healthcare workers.
