Riots in the UK: Government takes X, TikTok, Meta to task
The British government is calling on social networks to take action against hate messages and fake news. It also criticizes Elon Musk personally.
The new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the demonstrations as organized violence.
(Image: gov.uk)
Due to the riots in the UK, the new British Technology Minister Peter Kyle has met with representatives of major social media companies. TikTok, Meta, Google and X should ensure that hate messages do not spread easily and that those who spread them cannot hide, the minister said.
Kyle is referring to riots that arose following a knife attack by a 17-year-old in Southport on Monday last week. Three children died in the attack at a children's dance school and eight others and two adults were injured. Shortly after the attack, around one hundred right-wing extremists went on the rampage in Southport. Their attacks were directed against immigrants and Muslims, including a mosque. Violent actions also took place in London, Liverpool and Birmingham, including at a police station. There were also violent demonstrations in Plymouth and Belfast on Monday.
Criticism of Elon Musk
Speculation and false information about the suspect, who was born in Cardiff, quickly spread on the internet. His family comes from Rwanda. In addition, online channels were used to call for further violent rallies.
"There is a significant amount of content circulating that the platforms need to deal with quickly," Kyle's ministry posted on X. It is unacceptable for people to use social media to cause harm, suffering and destruction. He therefore made their responsibilities clear to TikTok, Meta, Google and X. The companies should work with the government to stop the spread of hateful misinformation and hate speech.
A spokesperson for the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally criticized Elon Musk for a statement on X. Musk had commented on a video of protesters throwing incendiary devices, saying that civil war was inevitable. According to the BBC, the spokesperson said that there was no justification for this statement. There is more that social media companies can and should do. Starmer said on Sunday that the riots were not protests, but organized violence. It was specifically directed against Muslim communities and was racist.
(anw)
