Over 62,000 arrested for ‘speech offences’ in Britain over five years

More than 62,000 people were arrested in Britain for communication offences between 2021 and 2025, a new report has revealed.

According to Breitbart, the figures were compiled by civil liberties group Big Brother Watch using police data obtained through Freedom of Information requests. The report recorded 62,199 arrests across 38 of Britain’s 45 territorial police forces, with 18,520 people charged and 12,292 convicted over the period. Big Brother Watch noted that the true figure could be even higher, as seven forces failed to submit data for the study.

The report also identified sharp regional disparities in how the offences were enforced across different police jurisdictions. Big Brother Watch has called for an independent review of Britain’s speech laws and police training standards.