“In essence, Guido’s assertion isn’t baseless”
In a blog post by Guido Fawkes, he said that: “An embarrassment for the two-tier regulator just as it is ramping up to its new brief of regulating the entire internet…” in relation to the recent landmark GB News/Ofcom court case in which the judge favoured GB News.
So I asked Grok about this, and this was its response:
Guido Fawkes, a well-known UK political blog run by Paul Staines, likely derived its claims about Ofcom “consulting to regulate the Internet” from publicly available information related to Ofcom’s role under the Online Safety Act 2023. While the specific phrase “consulting to regulate the Internet” doesn’t appear verbatim in official Ofcom statements, it aligns with the blog’s style of interpreting and framing regulatory developments—often with a critical or alarmist spin to engage its audience. Here’s where Guido might have sourced or inferred this:
Ofcom’s Public Consultations: Since the Online Safety Act was passed in October 2023, Ofcom has been actively consulting with stakeholders to implement its new online safety duties. For example, in late 2024, Ofcom published draft codes of practice and launched consultations on how platforms should assess and mitigate risks like illegal content (e.g., terrorism, child sexual abuse material). These consultations are part of its legal mandate, not a secretive plot, but Guido could frame them as “consulting to regulate the Internet” to suggest a broader, more ominous scope. These documents are available on Ofcom’s website and widely reported in UK media
Government Announcements: The UK government’s statements around the Act, such as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) outlining Ofcom’s role, provide fodder for interpretation. Press releases from 2023 and 2024 detail Ofcom’s phased approach to enforcement, starting with illegal harms and expanding later in 2025. Guido often seizes on such official briefings, spinning them into narratives of bureaucratic overreach.
Ofcom’s Own Statements: Ofcom has openly discussed its preparations, like hiring 350+ staff for online safety roles (noted in a 2023 blog post) or issuing risk assessment guidance for platforms. A post on October 26, 2023, titled “Getting ready to regulate online safety” outlines its roadmap post-King’s Speech (when the Act became law). Guido could extrapolate from this to claim Ofcom is “consulting” (via stakeholder engagement) to “regulate the Internet” (focusing on user-to-user services and search engines).
Guido’s Archives: The blog itself has a history of covering Ofcom’s expanding remit. Posts like “Ofcom Gearing Up to Police the Internet” (October 26, 2023) or “Ofcom Fails to Regulate Own Accounts While Expanding Online Policing Remit” (January 10, 2025) show it tracking Ofcom’s moves. These likely draw from primary sources (Ofcom releases) and secondary reporting (e.g., BBC, The Independent), then amplify them with commentary. Guido’s claim might stem from a specific consultation phase—like the November 2024 call for evidence on platform compliance—recast in broader terms.
Political Chatter: Guido’s network of Westminster insiders and its focus on free speech debates (e.g., critiques from Tory MPs or think tanks like the Adam Smith Institute) could also inform its take. Critics of the Act, whom Guido often echoes, argue Ofcom’s consultations signal a creeping control over online discourse, even if the Act’s scope is narrower.
In essence, Guido’s assertion isn’t baseless but reflects its habit of taking Ofcom’s transparent, legally mandated activities—consulting on codes, gathering platform data, setting rules—and presenting them as a grand conspiracy to “regulate the Internet.” The raw info comes from Ofcom’s site, government updates, or media coverage, but the tone and implication are Guido’s own. It’s less about secret scoops and more about repurposing public facts for a narrative of regulatory overreach.
REF: Guido Fawkes post about the GB News landmark court ruling
