You can get arrested for making a joke that might offend someone in a private whatsapp group. Doesn't even have to be political.

I think this is the link where the chap asks for legal advice: https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/1vxkcic/poli...

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amiga386 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Reddit often contains completely made up but believeable bullshit, so I wouldn't cite anything you see there. Every single post or comment could be a creative writing exercise to gain karma or sow discord.

However, if you want hard evidence what that post was claiming, I can give you a real citation from 2018:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46106224

> A house linked to an "offensive" video showing a model of Grenfell Tower being burned on a bonfire has been searched by police. Six men [...] were arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and have been released under investigation. A video shared on social media shows a cardboard model of the tower being set alight by a laughing crowd.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46112026

> Can I be offensive in my own home?

> Basically, yes. [...] if you make offensive comments in your home and they are recorded and posted online, it might be possible that you could be prosecuted.

	▲	amiga386 an hour ago \| parent [-]
		And in case you wondered what happened next, one of the six men charged went on to be tried in 2019, was found not guilty, and was acquitted. However, the CPS appealed against his acquittal, and it was quashed in 2021: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58054431 He was retried in 2022, where this time he pled guilty and was given ultimately a minor slap on the wrist: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61160971 Ultimately, everyone is happy: - people who saw the video and were offended by it are happy "something was done" - the CPS is happy because they gott'im - the courts are happy because they got paid double - the guy accused of offending people is happy this multi-year ordeal where the CPS won't stop hounding him until he confesses his guilt is finally over - MPs are happy they didn't need to change any laws no matter how unreasonable they were All good, right? Are we also going to spend years prosecuting someone who mockingly reenacts the sinking of the Titanic? Or is that somehow water under the bridge?

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someonebaggy 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Since Reddit is now login-walled, can you share what it says?

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gadders 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Does this work?

----

Police have arrested and questioned 3 of my mates from our private WhatsApp group chat. They're asking to speak to me too, but I'm working abroad.

They've all been arrested and had interviews under s127 of the Communications Act.

There's 4 of us in a group chat on WhatsApp where we chat and also make some edgy jokes and stuff. We're two white, an Indian and a black guy who studied at uni together.

All three of them have been arrested and interviewed today. I don't know anyrhing more than this. This info comes from their gf and fiance.

I'm working abroad but I have received a WhatsApp message and attempted call from a UK officer who identified himself wanting to speak to me about an ongoing enquiry into a reported issue.

My mate's fiance says it was reported by another guy's ex who he dumped 4 weeks ago. I'm inclined to believe that as the officer's message said he was acting on a report.

The thing is, we shared a lot of edgy jokes beteen us - but it was literally just the 4 of us in a private fucking chat. Some of the jokes we made were racisr, but they were all banter directed at each other. Others were just taking the piss out of the major news events like saying "Who needs people flying planes when our own shitty buildings just burn themselves down?" about Grenfell.

It's crass, but it's literally just us talking shit in private. These messages arent public or anything.

I can't get through to any of the guys. Is this something the police are actually going to try and prosecute?!

At this point should I just not come home? I'm dual Austrian-British and Austria doesn't extradite to the UK.

	▲	PorciiVorbesc 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> I'm dual Austrian-British How so? Since Austria doesn't (typically) allow dual citizenship. > Austria doesn't extradite to the UK. With what guarantee? In 2013 Austria forced the landing of the plane of the Bolivian president on orders from the US because they had intelligence Snowden might be on board. So if you think Austria will hesitate to ship your ass to the UK if you piss off the wrong elites, just because there's no official bi-lateral extradition agreement, you're kidding yourself. If needed, they'll just make up a spin story that you're some major child molester or something, to justify their actions in the media and reassure the public on why the violation of your rights was justified and they'll never ever do it again to anyone else as long as they behave, pinky promise wink-wink. In short, the people with guns can break the rules at will with little to no accountability.