Nigel Farage has told a US House committee hearing that the UK and European censorship laws are shocking and worrying as he gave the example of Graham Linehan's arrest as an example of what is "going wrong".
His comments come after the Father Ted co-creator was arrested at Heathrow Airport over three anti-trans social media posts.
The police said the arrest was made on suspicion of inciting violence.
The leader of Reform UK was speaking at a hearing on how the UK's Online Safety Act and the EU's Digital Services Act 'threaten Americans' right to speak freely online.
Mr Farage is among a number of witnesses giving testimony at the hearing.
Watch: Linehan arrest example of what is 'going wrong' - Farage
He outlined some "very famous cases" including the case of Mr Linehan.
He referred to the "extraordinary events" from yesterday following Mr Linehan's arrest, after "some tweets" he had posted several months ago when he was in Arizona.
He explained how Mr Linehan was met by five armed police and taken away for questioning.
"He is not even a British citizen, this is an Irish citizen," said Mr Farage.
He warned that this could happen to anyone coming to the UK under legislation and it is essentially "a big threat" to people travelling to the UK when such incidents are happening.
Mr Farage added that the impact of censorship legislation is "cause for proper inter-governmental debate."
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Free speech reaching 'a crisis point'
Lorcán Price, an Irish barrister and Legal Counsel with ADF International warned of free speech reaching "a crisis point" due to legislation around Europe's Digital Services.
He described the situation in Ireland where he said there is already a "crackdown", as he made a reference to the media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán.
He said the US has strong bilateral relations with Ireland and appealed for pressure to be placed on the Irish government to "stop the bullying" of tech companies.
"I hope you use your good offices here to put the pressure on."
Mr Price outlined "how bad things have become" in the UK and EU over "new regulations on free speech".
He said there are complicated pieces of legislation with provisions that are confusing within the EU Digitial Services Act.
He said X is standing up to it and he hopes others do the same.
He also accused the European Commission of being "quite threatening" and of using "threatening remarks" against these companies.
"The whole thing is designed to enforce compliance," he said.
He described a serious retreat from free speech saying it is anti speech law and outlined some of the situations his clients have faced in Europe as a result of the new legislation.
Mr Price was asked if there is growing frustration that the government is more focused on speech than issues like migrant crimes.
"I completely agree with that," he replied. " This about shutting down growing discontent in Europe," he said.
'Impossible position'
Earlier, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said that his officers are in an "impossible position" and should not be "policing toxic culture wars".
Mr Rowley said he had made suggestions to government about how laws governing social media posts could be changed, and was ready to test new approaches "within a matter of weeks".
He said: "While the decision to investigate and ultimately arrest the man was made within existing legislation, which dictates that a threat to punch someone from a protected group could be an offence, I understand the concern caused by such incidents given differing perspectives on the balance between free speech and the risks of inciting violence in the real world.
"Most reasonable people would agree that genuine threats of physical violence against an identified person or group should be acted upon by officers.
"Such actions can and do have serious and violent real-world implications.
"But when it comes to lesser cases, where there is ambiguity in terms of intent and harm, policing has been left between a rock and a hard place by successive governments, who have given officers no choice but to record such incidents as crimes when they're reported.
"Then they are obliged to follow all lines of inquiry and take action as appropriate.
"I don't believe we should be policing toxic culture wars debates and officers are currently in an impossible position," he said.
Independent TD for Laois-Offaly, Carol Nolan, described Mr Linehan's arrest as a "chilling insight" into the UK's "free speech authoritarianism".
She added that it has "sent a shiver down the spine of everyone who is attempting to push back against a malicious and vindictive free speech authoritarianism".
Additional reporting by Karen Creed
