Facebook, Yahoo, AOL UK and Mumsnet along with the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) have appealed for the protection of better protection of free speech online in the UK by suggesting urgent reform of UK libel laws in an open letter to David Cameron.

The letter, which is a part of the Libel Reform Campaign, appeals to the prime minister to change current legislation. It described current laws as having a "disproportionate, chilling effect" on writers and web hosts.

"We are writing to ask that you introduce urgent reforms in the government's proposed draft Defamation Bill to protect open discussion on the internet," wrote Facebook EU policy director Richard Allen, Yahoo UK and Ireland public policy director Emma Ascroft, AOL UK senior counsel Lisa Fitzgerald, ISP Association (ISPA) secretary-general Nicholas Lansman, and Mumsnet chief executive Justine Roberts.

It read, "The libel laws have not been updated to address the rise of online publication. The current multiple publication rule, dating back to 1849, defines every download as a publication and a potential new cause of action."

The group of firms has also urged the government to include better protection for discussion on the internet in its upcoming draft libel reform bill. Nicholas Lansman, Secretary-General ISPA expressed that that Internet Service Providers at present have to decide what bears defamatory meaning, which makes them judge and jury for the content.

He added, that the ISPs this support for an innocent dissemination defence in which they should only to ask to remove defamatory material declares such by a court of competent authority.