UK Revisits Social Media Regulation After Far-Right Riots

The British government is considering changes to the Online Safety Act designed to regulate social media companies, following a week of racist rioting driven by false information online.

Why it's important

The act, passed in October but not set to be enforced until early next year, allows the government to fine social media companies up to 10% of global turnover if they are found in breach.

At present, companies would only face a fine if they fail to police illegal content, such as incitments to violence or hate speech. Proposed changes could see Ofcom sanction companies if they allow "legal but harmful" content such as misinformation to flourish.

Britain's recently-elected Labour government inherited the legislation from the Conservatives, who spent many months tweaking the bill in an attempt to balance the right to free speech with concerns over online harms.

On Friday, pollster YouGov published a survey of more than 2,000 adults, which found two thirds (66%) believe social media companies should be held responsible for posts inciting criminal behavior.

A further 70% of respondents said social media companies were not strongly regulated enough, and 71% said they did not do enough to counter misinformation while the riots were ongoing.

Key quotes

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas Symonds said on Friday that the government would revisit the law's framework.

"There are obviously aspects of the Online Safety Act that haven't come into effect yet. We stand ready to make changes if necessary," he said on Sky News.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, told the Guardian on Thursday that the Online Safety Act needed to be amended in the wake of the riots.

"I think what the government should do very quickly is check if it is fit for purpose. I think it's not fit for purpose," he told the newspaper.

Context

Disorder spread across Britain last week, after widely-shared online posts wrongly identified the suspected killer of three young girls in a July 29 knife attack as a Muslim migrant.

As rioters clashed with police in some towns and cities, X owner Elon Musk also used his platform to share misleading information with his millions of followers, including one post suggesting civil war was "inevitable" in Britain.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson said there was "no justification" for such comments.