In 2023, 12,000 citizens were arrested in Britain for messages and social media posts.

Omissions

• The figure of 12,183 refers specifically to England and Wales, not the entire United Kingdom (Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems and data)
• The arrests cover all forms of communication under these laws - including written communications, telephone calls, messaging systems, and social media - not exclusively social media posts
• Only 1,119 of these arrests led to convictions (approximately 9.2% conviction rate)
• The laws cited (Communications Act 2003, Malicious Communications Act 1988) cover 'grossly offensive', 'indecent', 'obscene', 'menacing' messages and 'knowingly false' communications for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, or needless anxiety

Sources

• PrimaryUK Parliament HansardIn 2023 alone, the police made 12,183 arrests under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act
• SecondaryThe Independent37 police forces across England and Wales recorded 12,183 arrests in 2023 under section 127 of the Communications Act