In a formal submission to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) regarding the ongoing enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Google warned that Britain's current trajectory risks plunging the nation into 'authoritarian irrelevance.'
The rebuke from Google marks a significant escalation in the tensions between Big Tech and the UK government. While companies like X (formerly Twitter) have frequently adopted a combative stance, Google has historically favoured diplomatic engagement. However, the search giant's tone has hardened as Ofcom, the communications regulator, moves to enforce the stricter 'Phase 3' codes of practice concerning legal but harmful content.
A Stifling Digital Environment
In its statement, Google argued that the cumulative weight of the UK's compliance demands is creating a 'hostile environment' for digital expression and innovation. 'By prioritising safetyism over liberty, and bureaucratic compliance over digital dynamism, Britain risks a drift into authoritarian irrelevance—a walled garden where innovation cannot take root and from which capital will inevitably flee,' the submission read.
The company highlighted that the requirement for proactive monitoring of user content—essentially forcing platforms to act as privatised censors—undermines the principles of the open internet. Executives fear that the UK is setting a precedent that authoritarian regimes elsewhere will happily copy to suppress dissent.
Echoing Musk's Warning
Google's intervention comes just months after Elon Musk engaged in a high-profile spat with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In August, following the implementation of stricter age-assurance protocols, Musk described the Online Safety Act as 'suppression of the people' and warned that the UK was becoming a 'no-go zone' for free speech. At the time, Whitehall dismissed Musk's comments as the provocations of a 'free speech absolutist,' but Google's entry into the fray suggests the dissatisfaction is systemic across the industry.
The crux of the dispute lies in the liability tech firms now face. Under the full scope of the Act, senior managers can be held criminally liable for failures to protect users from harm. Tech leaders argue this incentivises platforms to over-block legitimate content to avoid legal risks, effectively sanitising the internet for British users.
The 'Brussels Effect' vs London's Isolation
For years, British policymakers have spoken of a 'third way' for tech regulation—distinct from the laissez-faire approach of the United States and the rigid GDPR-style rulebook of the European Union. The ambition was to make the UK an 'AI Superpower' and a hub for digital growth.
However, analysts warn that the reality is proving different. Instead of attracting investment, the heavy compliance costs are driving it away. 'The UK market represents less than 2 per cent of global GDP,' noted Sarah Friar, a senior tech analyst in the City. 'If the regulatory burden here exceeds the value of the market, companies will simply downgrade their services in the UK. That is the definition of irrelevance.'
There are already signs of this 'downgrading.' Several encrypted messaging services have threatened to withdraw from the UK rather than compromise their privacy standards to meet Ofcom's safety requirements. Google's warning suggests that search and AI tools could be next, with the UK potentially missing out on the full rollout of next-generation AI features due to liability concerns.
Government Defends 'World-Leading' Safety
Despite the outcry, the government maintains that the legislation is necessary to protect children and vulnerable adults online. A spokesperson for DSIT responded to the criticism late last night, stating: 'The Online Safety Act is world-leading legislation designed to ensure that what is illegal offline is illegal online. We make no apologies for holding tech giants to account for the safety of their users.'
Yet, as 2026 approaches, the government faces a difficult calculus. It must decide whether to enforce the letter of the law and risk an exodus of digital capital, or pivot to a lighter touch to preserve its ambitions of being a global tech hub. For now, the warning from Mountain View is clear: the UK cannot regulate its way to relevance.
