Open letter in response to far-right riots in the UK
Social media and messaging services, particularly Telegram and X (Twitter), have been used to spread false narratives and anti-migrant, anti-Muslim and racist hate, reaching millions of people in the UK. CCDH has organised an open letter aimed at platforms, government, and the public with our demands.
About
Far-right violence fuelled by disinformation and anti-Muslim, anti-migrant narratives has erupted across the UK this week. Social media and messaging services, particularly Telegram and X (Twitter), have been used to spread false narratives and reach millions of people in the UK. Posts quoting disinformation were algorithmically amplified, encrypted messaging platforms served to coordinate violent attacks on buildings and law enforcement, and platforms failed to address viral disinformation or attempt to stop the rapid transition from online hate to offline violence.[i] Elon Musk, owner of X, has actively amplified hateful posts relating to the riots to his following of 193 million followers.[ii] Muslim, migrant, and other marginalised communities feel besieged and public order has been threatened.[iii]
New CCDH research shows Musk’s X helped Tommy Robinson rack up 434 million views in the first days of the UK riots
Convicted hate actors have played a part in the recent violence. New CCDH analysis shows that Tommy Robinson’s posts on X have been viewed over 434 million times since the outbreak of far-right riots in the UK – and that Elon Musk’s platform has fact-checked just one of Robinson’s posts in that time. Enabled by the warped incentives and permissibility of hate on Elon Musk’s X, Robinson has successfully exploited social media to spread his divisive message during this time of crisis.[1]
Urgent call to the UK Government
It’s not enough to sit on our hands and await the full implementation of the Online Safety Act. CCDH calls on the UK Government to:
- Make clear to platforms that their failure to remove and de-amplify hate and incitement will not be tolerated – they can never again be used as staging grounds for illegal far-right violence
- Utilise existing powers under Public Order Act, Online Safety Act, and criminal law to clamp down on hate speech and hate actors online
- Amend Online Safety Act with new powers for proactive capacity to intervene when disinformation spikes
- Empower researchers with statutory data access rights, increasing expert capacity to identify developing crises and alert authorities to developments before they become violent
- Work with groups representing targeted communities to provide support for those affected and involve them in discussions on tackling hate and disinformation targeting their communities.
Urgent call on social media platforms
Social media platforms and messaging services bear partial responsibility for this outbreak of violence and must be held accountable for their failings. Immediately, they must address the moderation failings and system design flaws that enabled such viral spread of disinformation leading to offline violence.
CCDH calls on platforms to:
- De-amplify hateful narratives and clamp down on the virality of hate speech
- Stop all monetisation related to the accounts of hate actors and those who incite violence.
- Institute crisis response protocols for rapid deployment in times of information chaos
- Fundamentally alter systems so that they are safe by design, detect rule-violating posts before they are able to spread widely, and introduce friction into the viral spread of false information
- Enforce their existing policies on hateful conduct and illegal activity[iv]
- Stop closing independent oversight pathways and enable data access for researchers to increase the capacity to identify and respond to developing situations[v]
The public: stand against hate and disinformation
Riots across the UK are showing how online disinformation and hate can cause real-world violence. Hateful anti-migrant and anti-Muslim narratives online are putting our communities in danger.
Social media companies and policymakers must act now to stop the spread of hate and disinformation. If you care about stopping online-fuelled violence across the UK, then add your name and demand action now.
Signed,
The Center for Countering Digital Hate
[1] “MUSK’S X HELPS TOMMY ROBINSON RACK UP 434 MILLION VIEWS DURING UK RIOTS” Center for Countering Digital Hate, 7 August 2024 https://counterhate.com/research/musks-x-helps-tommy-robinson-rack-up-434-million-views-during-uk-riots/
[i] “From rumours to riots: How online misinformation fuelled violence in the aftermath of the Southport attack” 31 July 2024 https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/from-rumours-to-riots-how-online-misinformation-fuelled-violence-in-the-aftermath-of-the-southport-attack/
[ii] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1820803917359317428
https://x.com/elonmusk/with_replies
[iii] ” Teen Muslims say they fear for safety over riots” 5 Aug 2024 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3ddykeenlo
[iv] “Hateful Conduct policy” X Help Center, Apr 2023, https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/hateful-conduct-policy
“Community Guidelines” TikTok, May 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/overview
[v] ”Data access for researchers: the key to online safety” CCDH, Apr 2023, https://counterhate.com/blog/data-access-for-researchers-the-key-to-online-safety-regulation/