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The pincer movement closing on independent media

The Keir Stazi regime is not content with Youtube’s existing censorial tendencies.
It does have the drawback of not being under central command. Obviously the government should specify what independent providers provide. Simples.

The Canary:

“For example, requiring social media to make trustworthy news providers, which could include national and local news publishers and broadcasters, easily discoverable.”

Wording couldn’t be more blatant. The “trustworthy” BBC is hard to avoid but we all need help to discover it. Why not just make it mandatory then.

ED

Attack on independent media escalates (again) — YouTube will have to prioritise ‘MSM’

The Starmer regime is looking to force YouTube and other online media platforms to force-feed users with government-approved media and make it harder to find independent sources. This is a naked escalation in his war on information the state does not like.

YouTube is warning creators that the planned new rules will:

include mandatory changes to how content is discovered on YouTube.

Exactly what the regime is planning to promote at the cost of independent sources is made clear by the consultation page on the government website:

This includes:

• interventions to support an informed society. For example, requiring social media to make trustworthy news providers, which could include national and local news publishers and broadcasters, easily discoverable.
• measures to ensure audiences can continue to enjoy universal access to trusted and high quality television content. This includes setting out the next steps on our Future of TV Distribution Project.
how we can support our public service media providers, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C, who sit at the heart of our domestic TV ecosystem, driving growth and inward investment

In other words, the ‘mainstream’ media have lied to the public for decades on everything from the miners’ strike to Israel’s genocide. But they are what the government wants to treat as ‘trusted’. So online platforms will have to ram their nonsense down the public’s gullets while hiding independent news sources that have exposed the truth about these things.

YouTube’s warning reaches the same conclusion — Starmer’s ‘mandatory prominence regime’ will make platforms privilege ‘mainstream’, often controlled and fake news and hide independent sources:

Starmer — Escalating war on knowledge

Starmer has already banned social media to try to prevent young people informing themselves about his and Israel’s crimes. He is criminalising protest that informs the public about the crimes of the US, Israel and the UK. He is ramming new legislation through parliament in a day to criminalise information from sources he doesn’t like. Finally, he is ordering tech companies to give the government backdoor access to ordinary people’s private messages. Banks are cutting off anti-genocide campaigners — and the Canary news outlet — almost certainly at the state’s prompting.

And now he wants to destroy a whole ecosystem of people gaining information — and those making a living or additional income by providing it. All to prevent the public exercising its right not to listen to the state-corporate propaganda channels spewing disinformation.

So far, presumptive new PM Andy Burnham has given no indication that he will reverse or even slow down the war on public self-education. In fact, his record suggests the opposite: in 2025 he backed the so-called ‘Online Safety Act‘ that already forms a key plank in Starmer’s war on inconvenient information — and backs the social media ban for under-16s.

Skwawkbox recommends that every reader completes the consultation to register objections to this latest Orwellian power-grab.


https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/07/05/starmer-attack-media/

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OK this broke a week ago…
ED

BREAKING: Canary debanked by Lloyds

The Canary has been debanked by Lloyds. Despite banking with them for almost a decade they are currently withholding a substantial amount of our money. We are left with barely any funds.

Lloyds has not explained why it has taken this action. Despite multiple communications from us, the bank has not been forthcoming with its reasoning.

The Canary is now in a financially precarious situation. We do not know when our money that Lloyds is holding will be returned. Moreover, we do not know how it will affect our ability to get another bank account in the future.

Lloyds give no explanation

We do know that multiple other politically engaged people have suffered similar actions by other banks in recent times. It is not lost on us that powerful banks are able to restrict the financial activity of anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine organisations and individuals. Whilst we do not currently know the reasons behind our debanking, we cannot afford to be naive about this.

It is an outrage that the Canary has been unceremoniously dropped into financial instability with no notice or explanation from Lloyds.

Independent media targeted

Our situation is a damning indictment of the treatment of independent media in this country – whereby you can be potentially ruined without recourse by banking giants like Lloyds.

At this moment, we do not have enough cash to pay all our staff – again, because Lloyds is holding so much of our money.

Our situation highlights just how at risk independent media is at all times. We need your support constantly. But we also need it now more than ever. If you can donate to keep the Canary afloat while we resolve our debanking crisis, then you can do so here

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The Lloyds Bank fascist attack on Canary is one of loads of people being sanctioned without law. We need to recognise that this will be the modus operandi for Central Bank Digital Currencies world wide - do what we tell you or lose your income, assets, house, car and food - listen to Francesca Albanese
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/04/14/francesca-albanese-exposes/

  • but her final words should not be forgotten:
    "My life has become a rollercoaster. I never imagined living without a bank card, but I do. People help me.

My freedom is stronger than my fear. You are defeated the moment you stop fighting."

cheers

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Great post @Evvy_dense - I think the loonies at the top have only just realised that very few people ( particularly the 16 to 24 year group) watch or listen to MSM so they’re pushing it down everyone’s throats. It won’t work - you can lead horses to water but you can’t make them drink!

cheers

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