UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has ignited a political row by alleging that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is "on the side of Jimmy Savile" and other "extreme pornographers" because he wants to repeal the new Online Safety Act. Asked twice on Sky News to withdraw the remark, Kyle stood by it and later wrote on X that anyone seeking to overturn the legislation "is on the side of predators." Farage called the comments “absolutely disgusting” and demanded an apology, while Reform UK strategist Zia Yusuf described the accusation as one of the most appalling he had heard in politics. Kyle has so far refused to apologise. The clash places additional pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose government has championed the measure as a major child-protection reform. The Online Safety Act requires social-media platforms and search services to verify users’ ages and to remove harmful content swiftly or face fines of up to £18 million, or 10 percent of global turnover, from regulator Ofcom. The rules came into force on 25 July and have already prompted a surge in virtual-private-network downloads—one provider reported a 1,400 percent jump—as users seek to bypass the new checks. Reform UK argues the law threatens free speech and could push young people toward riskier corners of the internet. Kyle counters that the measure represents a "huge step forward" in curbing online dangers, saying children have lived in a "Wild West" for too long. The exchange highlights the sharpening debate over digital regulation as Reform’s poll numbers rise ahead of the next general election.