UK vows social media law review in wake of riots spurred by disinformation

The United Kingdom’s government promised further review of regulations on social media companies after widespread riots spurred by online misinformation. False information shared on social media about a July stabbing attack sparked the riots.

On Friday, Aug. 9, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that the riots show the new regulations set to take effect next year under a social media safety law are not strong enough and need to be revisited. Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to Khan by vowing that the government would take a broader look at social media following the riots.

The law passed in October, allows the government to fine social media companies up to 10% of global revenue for failing to take down posts promoting violence of hate speech. Managers of social media platforms may also be held criminally liable and social media sites may have access limited in the most severe cases. In the wake of the riots, proposed changes include sanctioning social media platforms if they allow “legal but harmful” content such as false information to grow.

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Riots ensued across the U.K. after online posts shared false details about the suspected killer of three young girls in a knife attack. As rioters clashed with police, Elon Musk, the owner of the platform X, shared a number of misleading posts, including one suggesting civil war was “inevitable” in the U.K. and a fake Daily Telegraph headline suggesting rioters would be sent to detention camps. Musk received backlash from British officials for the posts.

Action is already being taken against some online provocateurs. One man in the U.K. is now serving a 20-month sentence for Facebook posts that urged rioters to attack a hotel housing asylum-seekers and refugees. Another man is serving more than three years in jail for encouraging people online to light hotels housing immigrants on fire.

A recent poll among residents in the United Kingdom showed that around 70% of people believe that social media companies did a poor job of tackling misinformation during the disorder.

Meanwhile, as relative calm has returned to Britain, King Charles expressed gratitude to the police for restoring order after speaking with Starmer on the telephone last week. King Charles also said he was encouraged by the response by the community in restoring peace in the wake of the damage done to their neighborhoods.