A troubling new piece of legislation continues to make its way through the British parliament. Dubbed the “Banter Bill,” the Employment Rights Bill would criminalize any speech that might be considered offensive by any passerby.

As Dominic Green reports for The Free Press, under this proposed law, “Britons can be prosecuted for a remark that a worker in a public space overhears and finds insulting.” Under this standard, whether a certain sentiment (for instance, that Britain should reduce immigration) is legal will now depend on whether someone in the vicinity takes offense.

Unfortunately, this new subjective standard for what types of speech are allowed isn’t restricted to Great Britain. In the United States, more and more states are experimenting with a similar system. The Washington Free Beacon reports that eight states have set up “bias-response hotlines” which citizens are encouraged to call if they hear a comment — from a neighbor, coworker, or even passersby on the street — that they consider to be offensive. As Oregon says of their hotline, if you see or hear someone “creating racist images/drawings; mocking someone with a disability; or telling or sharing offensive ‘jokes’ about someone’s identity” they want to hear about it.