London is planning a crackdown on social media behemoths like Twitter as experts opine on the role played by social media posts in fanning riots across the country…reports Asian Lite News
Chief Prosecutor turned Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will not spare social media giants like Twitter, as senior politicians and ministers condemn the role played by irresponsible posts in fanning the summer of discontent.
Twitter boss Elon Musk and Sir Keir Starmer clashed after Musk claimed that Britain was heading for civil war. In a comment on his social media site about the violence, Musk said “civil war is inevitable”—a remark explicitly rejected by the Prime Minister’s official spokesman, who said there was “no justification” for it.
Musk then replied to a post on X by Sir Keir, questioning the Prime Minister’s decision to provide extra protection for mosques. The spat risks complicating the Government’s efforts to get social media companies, including X, to be more proactive in removing disinformation believed to be stoking the riots.
Sir Keir chaired an emergency COBRA committee on the riots, where he stated that anyone whipping up violence online will face “the full force of the law.”
“If you’re inciting violence, it doesn’t matter whether it’s online or offline,” the Prime Minister said. “And therefore I expect, just as in relation to those that are directly participating on the streets, for there to be arrests, charging, and prosecution. Equally, anyone who has been found to have committed a criminal offence online can expect the same response.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that social media platforms had “put rocket boosters” under false contents and added that the government would pursue the issue with tech companies.
“Social media companies also need to take some responsibility for this,” Cooper told BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday, while noting that the police would be pursuing “online criminality” too.
“Social media has put rocket boosters” under some of the misinformation and “encouragement” of violence, she said, adding that the government will pursue the issue with tech giants.
Downing Street said that action taken by social media companies to tackle misleading and inflammatory material “doesn’t go far enough.” It also warned that some foreign state actors were amplifying online disinformation.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle met with executives from X, YouTube, Meta, Google, and TikTok about the “spread of hateful misinformation and incitement” regarding the riots. After holding talks with tech giants, Mr. Kyle said, “There is a significant amount of content circulating that platforms need to be dealing with at pace. Different companies take different approaches, and I expect platforms to ensure that those seeking to spread hate online are not being facilitated and have nowhere to hide.”
The riots began in Southport following the arrest of Axel Rudakubana, 17, who is charged with the murder of three young girls and 10 counts of attempted murder. Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, all died in a knife attack in the Merseyside town last Monday.
Misinformation online claimed the person arrested was a Muslim refugee who arrived in the UK last year via a small boat. In reality, Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents before moving to a village near Southport.
Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer, amplified the false narrative, claiming that the attacker was an “illegal migrant.” Separately, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage questioned if the police, who had said the attack was not “terror-related,” were being truthful. Tommy Robinson of the English Defence League accused Muslims of the attack and urged his followers to protest.
Travel Alerts
Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates—all of which have majority Muslim populations—as well as Australia, issued travel alerts advising their citizens to be cautious if traveling to the UK amid the riots.
However, Downing Street rebuffed calls for the Army to be deployed or Parliament to be recalled in response to the clashes, which were seen in at least 16 British towns and cities in the last week.
Sir Keir was also forced to respond to claims of “two-tier policing” in Britain after Nigel Farage suggested riots over the last week had been dealt with more harshly than other recent unrest and protests. The Prime Minister rejected the claims, and Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Police Commissioner, denied that he had intentionally knocked a microphone out of a reporter’s hand when asked about the issue.
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