Petitions/Repeal Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003
StatusOngoing
Opened20 Jan 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Repeal Section 127(1)(a) of the Communications Act 2003, which criminalises “grossly offensive” online communications. Replace it with clearer, narrowly defined legislation that seeks to protect the public from genuine harm while safeguarding freedom of expression.

We believe the term “grossly offensive” is vague and subjective, giving the state excessive power to criminalise speech that is merely unpopular or provocative. This can undermine free expression, chill public debate, and can lead to inconsistent prosecutions. Harmful threats and harassment are already covered by more precise laws. Repealing and replacing this wording would, we believe, restore proper limits on state power while maintaining protections against genuine abuse.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Jess Asato
1Jess Asato MP
Lowestoft
6
Steve Darling
2Steve Darling MP
Torbay
6
John Cooper
3John Cooper MP
Dumfries and Galloway
2
Wendy Morton
4Wendy Morton MP
Aldridge-Brownhills
1
Dr Kieran Mullan
5Dr Kieran Mullan MP
Bexhill and Battle
1
Shabana Mahmood
6Shabana Mahmood MP
Birmingham Ladywood
1
Barry Gardiner
7Barry Gardiner MP
Brent West
1
Alex Burghart
8Alex Burghart MP
Brentwood and Ongar
1
Perran Moon
9Perran Moon MP
Camborne and Redruth
1
Rachel Blake
10Rachel Blake MP
Cities of London and Westminster
1