BRITISH PM STARMER WARNS SOCIAL MEDIA GIANTS OVER INCITING VIOLENCE, SPREADING DISINFORMATION

Mon 05 August 2024:

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has cautioned social media companies against acting irresponsibly by inciting violence and disseminating false information.

“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,” Starmer declared at a news conference following the tragic stabbing of three young girls in Southport last week.

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Strained Community Relations and Further Disorder

The deaths of the young girls have exacerbated community tensions and triggered further disorder across towns and cities in England.

The weekend riots were fueled by false reports on social media that a Muslim asylum seeker was responsible for a fatal stabbing, which was actually committed by a 17-year-old born to Rwandan Christian parents.

Starmer emphasized the need for a balanced approach to managing social media platforms, asserting that praising violence online is a “crime, not freedom of expression.” When asked about actions against non-compliant platforms, he remarked: “It’s an amazing opportunity that we all enjoy…There is also a responsibility that goes with it. That’s a space for a mature conversation to take place.”

Nationwide Riots and Arrests

Anti-immigrant protesters converged on Southport, attacking police and targeting a mosque. Over the weekend, more than 150 people were arrested during violent disorders in various UK towns and cities, marking some of the worst rioting in recent years.

On Sunday, far-right rioters targeted a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on the sixth day of violent disorder. The rioters threw planks of wood at officers, sprayed them with fire extinguishers, and smashed hotel windows. Approximately 700 people participated in the riots, setting a generator and a large bin on fire close to a hotel window, causing a small fire.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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