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Social media platforms warned against inciting violence by UK regulator


Ofcom is largely powerless until the Online Safety Act takes effect.

The regulator’s existing powers allow it to “suspend or restrict” video-sharing platforms that fail to protect the public from “harmful material” — potentially including inflammatory and often unverified videos that purport to show violence from immigrant communities, which have proliferated online. Misinformation falsely claiming the perpetrator was an asylum seeker quickly spread across social media platforms, sparking far-right, anti-immigration protests and violence predominantly targeting Muslim and non-white communities. The Times reports that posts on X promoting the unrest made by Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), one of the UK’s most recognized far-right extremists, have attracted over 434 million views since the riots began.

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