Bitcoin Magazine Podcast The UK's Orwellian Future: Bitcoin as the Escape Hatch w/ Freddie New | Bitcoin Politics Ep. 5
Aug 14, 2025
Freddie New, Chief Policy Officer & Co-Founder at Bitcoin Policy UK, tackles the implications of the UK's Online Safety Act on privacy and freedom. He critiques political hypocrisy surrounding VPN use while advocating for individual rights. The discussion emphasizes the intersection of Bitcoin and privacy tools, exploring legal challenges and the need for self-custody. New inspires action through grassroots political engagement, urging listeners to defend their freedoms and embrace the transformative power of Bitcoin amid increasing governmental oversight.
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Online Safety Act's Broad Misunderstanding
- The Online Safety Act aims to protect children but creates sweeping obligations that misunderstanding tech and human nature.
- Freddie New argues it produces disproportionate censorship and high compliance costs that shut down forums.
VPN Surge And Politician Hypocrisy
- ProtonVPN downloads spiked 1,800% the day the act became law and Proton framed it as civil-collapse-scale behavior.
- Freddie New recounts ministers buying VPNs and charging them to taxpayers, calling it hypocritical.
Protocols Resist Regulatory Grasp
- Protocols like Nostr resist regulation because they are not companies and have no CEOs to subpoena.
- Freddie New sees moving from companies to protocols as a critical path to preserving speech and privacy.
