Wildlife presenter Anneka Svenska, one who makes videos with actual giant wolves, had two police officers turn up at her home and told her to complete an “online thinking skills course” over comments she’d made on her YouTube channel (1.3 million subscribers) about a company that breeds beagles for medical research.

Who says the busies are not busy!

Svenska was backed by the Free Speech Union (FSU), a watchdog established just five years ago by Lord Toby Young, who posted the video online.

After the company made a complaint to the police about Svenska’s comments, two police officers then turned up at her home and told her she had committed a crime under the “Online Safety Act.”

Lads, you need to know what this actually is: the Online Safety Act is His Majesty’s Government’s law for policing what you say on the internet. Look into it. 

This means that Section 179 of the Online Safety Act, introduced by the last Conservative Government, made it a crime — punishable by up to 51 weeks in prison, to “knowingly spread false information likely to cause harm,” said the Free Speech Union.

She was told to accept a “community resolution disposal,” which would have remained on her record.

These conditions required Svenska to sign up for and attend both an “online thinking skills” course and an “online impact” course.

After she engaged a lawyer, the case was dropped. 

“Anneka doesn’t believe the information she spread about the company was false. In fact, she has documentary evidence which she says substantiates her claims,” said the Free Speech Union on X.

“Until the Online Safety Act was passed, the company unhappy about comments like this would have had to bring a defamation claim in the civil courts. Now, it seems, hurty words online can quickly become a police matter, and it seems that companies are now making criminal complaints as part of their brand protection strategies,” it added.

You want a society where people can get told they’ll go to jail by companies saying they’re fibbing, you got one. Or you can join the Free Speech Union!

READ MORE: Government Plans to Force Approved Mainstream Media Into YouTube Feeds