Donald Trump's administration has issued a warning to Sir Keir Starmer not to censor American tech companies amid criticism of Britain's online safety law.
The UK Government introduced its long-awaited Online Safety Act at the end of last week, adding strict age verification barriers to thousands of popular websites, forums, and social media services.
Major platforms, like X, Reddit, Discord and Bluesky, have implemented these checks.
American officials have said they are monitoring developments in Britain with "great interest and concern".
Speaking to The Telegraph, a US State Department official said: "President Trump has made it clear that free speech is one of our most cherished freedoms as Americans.
"Accordingly, we have taken decisive action against foreign actors who have engaged in extraterritorial censorship affecting our companies and fellow citizens.
"We will continue to monitor developments in the UK with great interest and concern."
The newly introduced law has also faced criticism from Reform UK, which said it would repeal the act if the party were elected.
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|Donald Trump's administration has issued a warning over Britain's online safety law
Zia Yusuf, who heads up Reform's Dodge unit, said the Online Safety Act "does absolutely nothing to protect children" and instead "suppresses freedom of speech".
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle accused party leader Nigel Farage of being "on the side of people like Jimmy Savile" earlier this week over his opposition to the law.
Speaking in a TV interview on Tuesday, July 29, Kyle said Farage is on the side of "extreme pornographers peddling hate and peddling violence".
He said: "I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he's going to overturn these laws. We have people out there who are extreme pornographers peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side.
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Peter Kyle earlier this week accused Nigel Farage of being 'on the side of people like Jimmy Savile'
"Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he would be perpetrating his crimes online, and Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side, not the side of children."
Infuriated by Kyle's remarks, the Reform UK leader took to social media to demand an apology, declaring the comments "disgusting".
Kyle then doubled down on his stance, telling Farage: "If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that."