Businesswoman Bernie Spofforth arrested under Online Safety Act for posting suspect’s identity
On 10 August 2026, British businesswoman Bernie Spofforth was arrested in the United Kingdom under the Online Safety Act after posting the alleged identity of a suspect linked to the 2024 Southport stabbing that claimed the lives of three girls.
The arrest highlights growing concerns that the law, originally promoted as a safeguard for children, is being used to curb speech that authorities deem harmful or misleading. Critics argue the legislation’s broad definition of "harm" allows police to target a wide range of online communications, raising questions about the balance between public safety and free expression.
Spofforth shared the name "Ali Al-Shakati," an asylum seeker whose identity had been circulating online as a possible perpetrator. She later deleted the post when she could not confirm its accuracy. Police, however, charged her with malicious communications and alleged that she fabricated the name to incite racial hatred.
At the police station, Spofforth says she was held for 36 hours, describing the treatment as similar to that of a terrorist suspect. She has not been tried or convicted, but she is now suing the law enforcement agency for wrongful arrest and the damage to her professional reputation.
The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, was framed as a child‑protection measure but has been criticized for its sweeping powers. It criminalises content that causes "psychological harm," a term lawmakers acknowledge is elastic and difficult to define. The law also introduced “respect orders,” which allow magistrates to issue speech‑related convictions without a jury.
Police statistics released after the act’s implementation show more than 12,000 people were arrested in England and Wales in 2023 for violating communications law, ranging from overt incitement to private messages deemed unnecessarily alarming. The case of former Royal Marine Jamie Michael, who was arrested after a Facebook video about community safety, illustrates the law’s reach; he was ultimately acquitted after a brief jury deliberation.
Human rights advocates and members of the House of Lords, such as Claire Fox, have warned that the act’s provisions threaten open discourse by criminalising speech that merely offends or causes discomfort. The debate has resonated across the Atlantic, with American observers noting the potential for similar restrictions to emerge in the United States.
Spofforth’s legal challenge is expected to test the limits of the Online Safety Act in court, and the outcome could set a precedent for how the law is applied to ordinary social‑media users. The case remains unresolved as both parties prepare for further proceedings.
