How social media misinformation sparked riots up and down the UK

A small number of incendiary posts have been seen by tens of millions of people, causing anger, fear and violence.

By CGTN Europe.

Over several days, far-right mobs have targeted mosques and residences of people believed to be immigrants to Britain. The trigger for the violence was the killing of three young girls at a dance event in the northern town of Southport.

However, connecting that event and riots in cities across Britain is a web of misinformation that can be traced back to a small number of accounts that were amplified by powerful influencers.

Prime Minister Kier Starmer has responded by warning social media companies that they must enforce laws against inciting violence online.

"Let me also say to large social media companies, and those who run them, violent disorder clearly whipped up online: that is also a crime. It's happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere," he said at a news conference, adding there was a "balance to be struck" in handling such platforms.

Starmer, the former UK head prosecutor, said the law recognized that online harm can be as dangerous as physical acts.

"If you're inciting violence, it doesn't matter whether it's online or offline," the prime minister said.

Keir Starmer: “We will not tolerate attacks on mosques or on Muslim communities.” /REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Keir Starmer: “We will not tolerate attacks on mosques or on Muslim communities.” /REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle met with the heads of TikTok, Meta, Google, and X on Monday evening to stress their responsibility in stopping the spread of misinformation and hate.

Photo of six-year-old Bebe King, who was one of three girls killed in Southport stabbing. /REUTERS/Belinda Jiao

Photo of six-year-old Bebe King, who was one of three girls killed in Southport stabbing. /REUTERS/Belinda Jiao

Unraveling Southport misinformation spread

British media reported that the anti-migrant riots could have been fuelled by disinformation from the Channel3 Now website. The site, mimicking a US news agency, published a fake report claiming that a "17-year-old Muslim refugee Ali Al Shakati" carried out the attack on the Southport club.

The Channel3 Now post came minutes after Bernadette "Bernie" Spofforth, who has over 40,000 followers, tweeted on X that "Ali Al-Shakati" was the suspect. She claimed he was an "asylum seeker who came to the UK by boat last year" and was on an “MI6 watch list."

"If this is true, then all hell is about to break loose," she wrote. An hour after posting, at 4:49 pm on Monday, she deleted the tweet. A few days later, she explained on X that she “did not invent any detail of the information she posted” and believed it was from "a reputable news source." However, she did not disclose where the name "Ali Al-Shakati" came from.

Although the suspected attacker was legally a minor, a judge took the unusual step of allowing him to be named in order to dispel speculation. Alex Rudakubana is known to have been born in the UK to parents from Rwanda.

The Channel3 Now tweet with a fake report, which has just 3,000 followers, was viewed over 27 million times on the social network until it was deleted.

The website later published a statement, calling the information "misleading" and saying it "deeply regret any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused".

The fictitious name of the criminal as well as unfounded claims about his background began to be distributed by social media influencers, including the head of the far-right English Defence League Tommy Robinson (around 900,000 followers on X) and controversial blogger Andrew Tate (approximately 10 million followers on X).

The misinformation was also spread by other well-followed accounts.

In total, the claim that the suspect was an asylum seeker or immigrant has been viewed at least 15.7 million times across X, Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, a Reuters analysis showed.

On Monday night, trouble flared in Plymouth, southern England, and again in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Hundreds of rioters threw petrol bombs and heavy masonry at officers, setting a police Land Rover on fire.

A message circulating on Telegram since Monday warns that immigration centers and law firms aiding migrants will be targeted on Wednesday.