How free should "free speech" be?

Unlike the USA and other countries, the UK has no enshrined statutory or common law right of free speech. We face restrictions, and those restrictions have consequences. From obviously satirical tweets leading to a criminal conviction, to people with strong (and potentially very hateful) opinions being denied entry to this country based solely on what they say, not do, this country does not afford any of its citizens the freedom to say dangerous things. In addition, there is the (potentially less serious now) risk of being slapped with a libel suit for something you wrote that someone with money took umbrage too.

Does this meant that the UK is undermining its own credibility as a truly modern democracy by pushing those with “extreme” views underground, by allowing controversial views to spread underground – rather than be heard and dismissed in public?

To what extent do we have to set out our limits, implemented in laws which enforce them, in order to protect our children and vulnerable adults from demonstrably hateful views?

Why not provide "safe spaces" for people to engage in meaningful discussions without feeling like they are being judged or attacked for sharing their life story or reliving a traumatic event? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe-space

What of the “no platform” movement, whereby protestors physically or verbally prevent a speaker from sharing their views? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Platform

What of the "right to be forgotten", is this going too far? Should we, post-Brexit, implement our own version and allow any child who reaches the age of maturity to just reset their social media life? Aren’t we obligated to consider this seriously now that we live a world where almost everything we do is recorded? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_be_forgotten

Free speech, or at least the concept, may need to adjust to the way we have progressed. Shouldn’t we balance free speech with the rights to privacy and a family life? Isn’t it reasonable to not expect something we did 20 years ago to define us? Or does free speech mean that we should be able to move past minor indiscretions and treat each person’s opinion equally, accepting that we all make mistakes and that Facebook, Twitter et al are just a way to vent or flaunt our “social” personality, and that they don’t define our whole self?

Is free speech overrated in a world of fake news?

Optional further reading:

http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-free-speech-64797

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freedom-speech/

Come and join us to share your views, and hear those of others, in a "safe", "free", but respectful discussion forum.