{"id":320235,"date":"2025-12-20T06:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T06:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=320235"},"modified":"2025-12-21T08:35:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:35:23","slug":"trump-suspends-40bn-tech-deal-with-uk-over-free-speech-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=320235","title":{"rendered":"Trump SUSPENDS $40BN Tech Deal With UK Over Free Speech Crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Steve Watson \u2013 modernity.news Dec 18, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>The Trump administration has delivered a major blow to UK-US relations by suspending a massive $40 billion Tech Prosperity Deal, citing Britain\u2019s aggressive censorship regime as a direct threat to American tech giants and their ability to operate freely.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This move underscores Trump\u2019s zero-tolerance stance on foreign policies that undermine US interests, especially when they involve stifling free speech and handing advantages to global competitors like China.<\/p>\n<p>The White House paused the tech prosperity deal amid concerns the UK government\u2019s draconian Online Safety Act, which regulates online speech, will stifle American artificial intelligence companies, the Telegraph reports.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\u23f8\ufe0f Donald Trump suspended a landmark tech deal with the UK amid concerns the Online Safety Act will stifle American artificial intelligence companies, the Telegraph understands.<\/p>\n<p>Read more here \uf447<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c8LrpPDoY4\">https:\/\/t.co\/c8LrpPDoY4<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sQzjZsr3L0\">pic.twitter.com\/sQzjZsr3L0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Telegraph\/status\/2001054787480048015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The law allows the British government to levy large fines on tech giants it deems have facilitated \u2018hate speech\u2019.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BREAKING: President Trump has suspended the \u00a331 billion \u2018tech prosperity\u2019 deal with Britain. GB News\u2019 Political Editor Christopher Hope reacts, calling it \u2018a disaster.\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/j0ZTCfvENb\">pic.twitter.com\/j0ZTCfvENb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 GB News (@GBNEWS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GBNEWS\/status\/2000868026598424853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On Dec 3, Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, said the government planned to impose new restrictions on chatbots to ensure AI companies do not benefit from loopholes in the law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe perception is that Britain is way out there on attempting to police what is said online, and it\u2019s caused real concern\u201d, a source with knowledge of the decision to suspend the deal stated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmericans went into this deal thinking Britain were going to back off regulating American tech firms but realised it was going to restrict the speech of American chatbots,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n<p>The deal, announced in September during Trump\u2019s state visit to the UK, included pledges of \u00a322bn from Microsoft and \u00a35bn from Google to create an AI growth zone in north-east England, potentially generating \u00a330bn in economic value and 5,000 jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Leftist UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed it as \u201ca generational stepchange in our relationship with the US,\u201d while Trump described it as a path to \u201cdominate\u201d in AI and lead the technological revolution \u201cside by side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beyond censorship, Washington has raised issues with the UK\u2019s digital services tax on US tech firms and food safety rules blocking certain agricultural exports, framing the pause as part of hard-nosed negotiations to eliminate trade barriers.<\/p>\n<p>A British government source downplayed the suspension as \u201cthe usual bit of hardball negotiations by the Americans,\u201d adding that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick \u201cis a tough guy. We understand that the Americans negotiate incredibly hard but we\u2019ll stand our ground. They want what\u2019s best for their country, we want what\u2019s best for ours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another source labeled it \u201cpart of the shape of the negotiations\u201d with Washington.<\/p>\n<p>This latest escalation highlights the ongoing free speech crisis in the UK, where authorities have ramped up arrests for online expression. As we\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/12\/17\/insanity-uk-man-jailed-for-18-months-for-two-tweets-viewed-just-33-times\/\">reported<\/a>\u00a0earlier, the latest insane case has seen a\u00a0man jailed for 18 months over two anti-immigration tweets viewed just 33 times combined\u2014a stark example of the regime\u2019s overreach.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"qEWB89Q8Li\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/12\/17\/insanity-uk-man-jailed-for-18-months-for-two-tweets-viewed-just-33-times\/\">INSANITY: UK Man JAILED For 18 Months For TWO Tweets Viewed JUST 33 Times<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" title=\"\u201cINSANITY: UK Man JAILED For 18 Months For TWO Tweets Viewed JUST 33 Times\u201d \u2014 modernity\" src=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/12\/17\/insanity-uk-man-jailed-for-18-months-for-two-tweets-viewed-just-33-times\/embed\/#?secret=qEWB89Q8Li\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" data-secret=\"qEWB89Q8Li\"><\/iframe><script><\/p>\n<p>\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/<\/p>\n<p>!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&#038;&#038;(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&#038;&#038;(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&#038;&#038;(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&#038;&#038;n.host===r.host&#038;&#038;l.activeElement===s&#038;&#038;(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/modernity.news\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\n<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The broader pattern is alarming: nearly 10,000 arrests in 2024 alone for \u201cgrossly offensive\u201d social media posts, equating to 30 per day, while violent crimes like knife attacks and burglaries are sidelined.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"qF7prgpgnj\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/11\/17\/britains-speech-gulag-exposed-10000-arrested-last-year-for-social-media-posts\/\">Britain\u2019s Speech Gulag Exposed: 10,000 Arrested Last Year For Social Media Posts<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" title=\"\u201cBritain\u2019s Speech Gulag Exposed: 10,000 Arrested Last Year For Social Media Posts\u201d \u2014 modernity\" src=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/11\/17\/britains-speech-gulag-exposed-10000-arrested-last-year-for-social-media-posts\/embed\/#?secret=qF7prgpgnj\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" data-secret=\"qF7prgpgnj\"><\/iframe><script><\/p>\n<p>\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/<\/p>\n<p>!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&#038;&#038;(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&#038;&#038;(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&#038;&#038;(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&#038;&#038;n.host===r.host&#038;&#038;l.activeElement===s&#038;&#038;(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/modernity.news\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\n<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump has long been attuned to Britain\u2019s erosion of rights,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/05\/27\/trump-sent-a-free-speech-squad-to-the-uk-to-investigate-erosion-of-rights\/\">dispatching a \u201cfree speech squad\u201d<\/a>\u00a0from the State Department in May to investigate cases of activists arrested for silent protests and online dissent.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s even\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/11\/17\/trump-offers-lifeline-to-uk-thought-criminals\/\">offered political asylum<\/a>\u00a0to UK \u201cthought criminals,\u201d including those prosecuted for gender-critical views or immigration criticism, positioning America as a haven for those fleeing authoritarian overreach.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ztqoFREybt\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/11\/17\/trump-offers-lifeline-to-uk-thought-criminals\/\">Trump Offers Lifeline To UK \u2018Thought Criminals\u2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" title=\"\u201cTrump Offers Lifeline To UK \u2018Thought Criminals\u2019\u201d \u2014 modernity\" src=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/11\/17\/trump-offers-lifeline-to-uk-thought-criminals\/embed\/#?secret=ztqoFREybt\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" data-secret=\"ztqoFREybt\"><\/iframe><script><\/p>\n<p>\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/<\/p>\n<p>!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&#038;&#038;(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&#038;&#038;(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&#038;&#038;(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&#038;&#038;n.host===r.host&#038;&#038;l.activeElement===s&#038;&#038;(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/modernity.news\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\n<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With the US now leveraging economic deals to push back against censorship, this suspension sends a clear message: alliances come with strings attached when basic freedoms are at stake. As Britain doubles down on policing speech, Trump is ensuring American innovation\u2014and expression\u2014won\u2019t pay the price.<\/p>\n<p><em>Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pauljosephwatson.locals.com\/support\">Locals<\/a>\u00a0or check out our unique\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/shop\">merch<\/a>. Follow us on X\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/modernitynews\">@ModernityNews<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/modernity.news\/2025\/12\/18\/trump-suspends-40bn-tech-deal-with-uk-over-free-speech-crackdown\/\">Source\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Slams brakes on pact as Britain\u2019s speech-policing laws threaten US innovation and free expression<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58,66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-320235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-Current_Affairs","category-Economics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=320235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":320236,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320235\/revisions\/320236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=320235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=320235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=320235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}