United Kingdom
Government actions against journalists in the United Kingdom
RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
The United Kingdom is in Northern Europe, Europe. The record holds 2 incidents in which the government of the United Kingdom, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.
Tactics used
- Detention and violence: 1 incident · ladder
- Licensing and closure of outlets: 1 incident · ladder
- Prior restraint: 1 incident · ladder
- Surveillance and subpoenas: 1 incident · ladder
Heads of government at the time
Incidents by year
2013
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 18, 2013 | United Kingdom detains journalist's partner under terrorism law and oversees destruction of Guardian hard drives holding Snowden files | Surveillance and subpoenas | Punish | David Cameron | Upheld by a court (January 19, 2016) |
1988
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1988 | United Kingdom bars broadcasters from airing Sinn Féin members' own voices | Licensing and closure of outlets | Silence | Margaret Thatcher | Reversed (September 16, 1994) |
Ladders: where each tactic has led · Timeline for United Kingdom · Europe