Taylor Lorenz
@taylorlorenz·276K subscribers·519 videos
The Websites Everyone Hates Might Save the Internet
Posted
January 2, 2026
Views
84,853
Likes
4,864
Comments
1,280
Engagement
7.24%
January 2, 2026
84,853
4,864
1,280
7.24%
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39:35Now PlayingFree Speech Friday!!
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A few months ago, the UK's Online Safety Act went into effect, causing chaos across the internet. The UK government has censored information about police violence, silenced protesters, banned the subreddit for War Crimes, and effectively removed dozens of forums for everything from new motherhood advice to alcoholic anonymous treatment communities.
While the big tech companies have rolled over and complied with the law, a small, unlikely group of platforms is fighting back. These platforms include Kiwi Farms, Gab, and 4Chan, and they're waging a legal battle that could reshape the entire global internet.
Preston Byrne is the lawyer representing these platforms in their fight against the UK government and the EU's Digital Services Act, a similar "online safety" law that's led to significant censorship. A fierce free speech defender, Byrne is making the legal case that UK and EU regulators do not have the right to censor American's speech in America.
He joined me to discuss the global battle he's undertaken and how some of the worst websites online might just save the internet for all of us.
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