Former British Labour MP George Galloway has launched a defamation case against Twitter at the High Court in Dublin after it labelled his account “Russian state-affiliated media”.
Mr Galloway, 67, is also claiming that Twitter unlawfully processed his personal data by labelling and censoring his account.
The politician and broadcaster presented The Mother of All Talkshows on the Russian state-owned Radio Sputnik service, and Sputnik: Orbiting the World with George Galloway on the Kremlin-linked RT network, formerly known as Russia Today.
The channel was shut down by British government sanctions in March after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Mr Galloway’s talk show is now broadcast on YouTube.
Twitter added the label “Russian state-affiliated media” on Mr Galloway’s profile and posts on the social media platform.
He said that Twitter’s “unjust labelling of honestly held political views is the New McCarthyism and it must be held accountable”.
Mr Galloway rejected Twitter’s assertion and denied that he was ever “Russian state-affiliated media”. Being labelled as such was “perverse, unjust and highly damaging”, he said.
He said the label was applied to his Twitter account after he had stopped presenting on Russian television channels.
A spokeswoman for Twitter in Dublin declined to comment on the legal proceedings.
Twitter had refused to provide information about the labelling when it was first applied six months ago, said Mr Galloway’s lawyer, Kevin Winters.
Mr Winters said his client was taking the case to Dublin because “Twitter contests jurisdiction anywhere else” and because Ireland was where the data controller for all EU and UK Twitter accounts are asserted to be.
He said Twitter’s refusal to explain the labelling was “unbecoming for a major corporation, not least one which styles itself as the ‘public square’”.
Mr Galloway described himself as a “man of independent mind”.
“To have attached to my every utterance — on football to family on politics to popular music — a completely false statement that my views are Russian state-directed is unconscionable and a daily stab to the heart of who and what I am,” he said.
Twitter states it uses state-affiliated media labels on accounts where a government exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressure and control over production, and accounts belonging to state-affiliated media entities, their editors-in-chief or prominent staff.
Mr Galloway’s case will be regarded as a test on how Twitter manages its content moderation in the future, as billionaire Elon Musk plans a €41 billion ($44bn) takeover of the social media platform, which he wants to be “an inclusive arena for free speech”.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
