Progress Publishing, the publisher of the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger, welcomes healthy, respectful debate on our social media channels.
We fiercely defend responsible free speech, but we also have a duty to ensure conversations on our pages and channels are inclusive, constructive, and legally sound.
Free speech does not mean speech without consequence. Nor does it mean that misinformation, disinformation, or hate should be given free rein. In recent weeks, as online debate has intensified, we have had to apply our terms and conditions more robustly.
We are politically neutral and apply the same standards to everyone; moderation is based on behaviour, not beliefs. Breaches of our terms and conditions have come from across the political spectrum.
Our role is to ensure conversations remain lawful, constructive, and inclusive, not to promote or silence one side.
Why we have social media terms and conditions
We don’t, nor does any other newspaper, have any obligation to allow comments on our stories on any of our channels.
However, we encourage readers to comment on our articles and join discussions on the platforms we use (Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Instagram and Bluesky), as we believe lively debate contributes to an informed community.
But, with that comes responsibility.
Progress Publishing is not responsible for third-party comments, but we do reserve the right to remove content or restrict accounts where necessary if those comments do not align with a constructive conversation or may be subject to action under UK law.
This is to protect readers, contributors, our own staff, our editorial independence and our company, to ensure we are not legally or ethically compromised by comments made on our channels.
UK law and harmful content
Certain types of content are not only harmful but also unlawful.
Under UK law, hate speech, incitement to violence, and defamatory statements can have serious legal consequences for both the person who writes them and the owners of the channel within which they are written.
- Hate speech: The Public Order Act 1986 makes it an offence to use threatening, abusive, or insulting words intended to stir up racial hatred. Later legislation extended this to cover religion and sexual orientation.
- Incitement to violence: Encouraging or assisting crime, including calls for violence, is a criminal offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007.
- Defamation: Civil law protects individuals and organisations from false statements that harm their reputation. Publishers – including those who allow such comments to remain visible – can be held liable.
- Contempt of court: Posting certain things on a story about a crime, when someone who has been arrested or charged, or during an active court case, could seriously jeopardise justice being served. The Attorney General’s Office takes these matters very seriously.
These legal obligations inform our moderation policies.
Our moderation rules
We reserve the right to remove comments when:
- They are potentially libellous, could hinder future court action, or contain hate speech.
- They contain offensive or profane language or personal attacks.
- They spread suspected fake news (misinformation/disinformation), rumours, or are off-topic or trolling.
- They constitute a threat to Progress Publishing staff, readers, and related individuals/organisations.
Where necessary, we will also take screenshots of comments and work with the police to support investigations. Persistent breaches may result in permanent bans from all Progress Publishing channels.
We may also close comments on posts if we believe a debate has run its course or is attracting disproportionate breaches of our terms.
As a small team, we may also turn off comments where moderation demands become unmanageable.
Neutrality and fairness
We are politically neutral and apply the same standards to everyone. Breaches of our terms and conditions have come from across the political spectrum.
Our role is to ensure conversations remain lawful, constructive, and inclusive, not to promote or silence one side.
Our regulator: Impress
Progress Publishing is regulated by Impress, the independent press regulator, and we are proud to follow their Standards Code, which applies to all forms of news delivery, including print publications, news websites and social media.
This means we must act responsibly when we see content that goes against responsible free speech, including on our social media channels.
Platform terms and conditions
In addition to our own standards, all discussions must follow the rules of the platforms we use:
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram): Prohibits hate speech, harassment, misinformation/disinformation that could lead to harm, and content promoting violence. Automated filters hide posts containing profanity or offensive keywords. See Facebook’s Community Standards.
- LinkedIn: Requires its “professional community policies” to be respected. This includes prohibitions on harassment, abuse, hate, violent threats, and misinformation/disinformation. See LinkedIn’s policies.
- Bluesky: Bans misinformation/disinformation, harassment, spam, and violent speech, as well as posts that promote hate on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, or other protected characteristics. See Bluesky’s Community Guidelines.
We encourage contributors to use each platform’s reporting tools if they believe content breaches its terms. But if you feel a comment on our pages should be further reviewed, you may also ask us to investigate.
A shared responsibility
We want all our channels to be spaces where readers can exchange views, ask questions, and challenge ideas constructively. Free and fair debate is welcome, but abuse, misinformation, disinformation, and hate have no place.
By participating in discussions on our pages, you are agreeing to these conditions.
If you believe your comment has been removed from our channels in error, you can contact us directly for review. The removal or reinstatement of comments is at the discretion of the editor, and their decision is final.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about our social media terms and conditions
Isn’t this censorship?
No. Censorship is when a government or authority prevents people from expressing lawful views. In the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects freedom of expression.
But this right is not absolute – it can be restricted to prevent crime, protect others’ reputations, or maintain public safety.
As a private publisher, we are not obliged to give every opinion space on our platforms. We are responsible for the discussions hosted on our pages, and if we allow unlawful or harmful content to remain, we could face legal and or ethical consequences.
Our moderation, therefore, ensures debate is constructive, fair, and safe for all under established UK law and the journalism standards code we are proud to follow.
If you feel your style of contribution is not suited to our channels, you are free to create your own social media pages, groups, blogs, or even newspapers that reflect your style of conversation. No one is stopping you from expressing yourself lawfully elsewhere.
Is this just targeting a small number of people?
No. Our terms and conditions apply equally to everyone. We are politically neutral and moderate based on behaviour, not beliefs. Breaches of our rules come from across the political spectrum and from individuals with diverse views.
Our role is not to promote or silence any side of a debate. It is to ensure that conversations on our channels remain lawful, constructive, and inclusive, so that everyone feels able to participate.
Why are you implementing these terms and conditions now?
These terms and conditions have been in place as part of our Ethics and Editorial Policy since 2020, but we are reminding readers and contributors of them now because of the increase in breaches.
Some recent comments and personal comments from individuals have undermined constructive debate, and we want to ensure our channels remain respectful, safe, inclusive, and valuable for everyone.
How do I get my views across if comments have been closed?
We sometimes close comments when a debate has run its course or when moderation demands become unmanageable for our small team. If you’d like to share your view, you can still submit a letter for publication.
Details of how to do this can be found here.
All letters are considered, but we ask all writers to be respectful, refrain from the use of personal comments or attacks, profanity, or remarks that may be considered offensive, as per the terms and conditions listed above.
We reserve the right to refuse publication without a reply.
What happens if the rules are repeatedly broken?
Continued breaches – such as posting offensive content, spreading disinformation, or harassing others – may result in a permanent block from all Progress Publishing social media pages.
Where comments contain breaches of UK law, we will take screenshots of comments or posts and share them with Bedfordshire Police to support any investigation they may decide to undertake.
Why do you sometimes leave comments up instead of removing them?
We prefer to allow debate to happen openly, even if views are strongly expressed. We only remove comments if they breach our terms (for example, by being defamatory, hateful, or threatening).
Everyone is free to express their opinions about any subject we have written about. Our moderation is based on behaviour, not personal views.
Can I post anonymously?
Yes, you can post anonymously if you wish; however, please be aware that Progress Publishing staff and volunteers can see the identity of all those taking part in conversations on our channels.
Where comments contain breaches of UK law, we will take screenshots of comments or posts and the identity of the person making them. We will then share these with Bedfordshire Police to support any investigation they may decide to undertake.
What should I do if I see a comment I think is harmful?
First, use the platform’s own reporting tools (Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky etc.). If you believe it also breaches our own standards, you can contact us directly, and we will investigate.
Why does this matter?
We are proud to be regulated by Impress, which requires us to uphold responsible standards of free speech. We are also committed to ethical editorial practices, accuracy and increasing trust in journalism.
This means striking a balance between open discussion and legal and ethical responsibilities. Our moderation is not about silencing voices, but about ensuring everyone can take part in discussions safely and fairly.
Which channels and platforms does this relate to?
Progress Publishing has several social media channels.
| Bedford Independent (page) | Bedford Independent |
| Bedford Clanger (page) | Bedford Clanger |
| We Are Bedford (group) | |
| Mums and Dads of Bedford (group) |
| Bluesky | |
| Bedford Independent | Bedford Independent |
| Threads |
| Bedford Independent |
