Following the horrific scenes of the last few days, there are calls for Keir Starmer to order an investigation into social media to prevent it from fuelling future unrest.
The Prime Minister said police should remain on “high alert” amid fears of further outbreaks of violence this weekend.
6,000 riot police are to be sent to potential trouble spots. Almost 600 arrests have already been made in connection with the unrest.
A man, 28-year-old Jordan Parlour, a Facebook user who called on people to attack a hotel housing asylum seekers, was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Leeds Crown Court on Friday for inciting racial hatred.
Sir Keir also warned anyone involved online that they could face legal action if they broke the law, and told social media executives to be aware of the real consequences of the messages on their platforms.
After the unrest, ministers must “take a more comprehensive look at social media,” he added.
As violence broke out across the country, Cabinet ministers accused online posts of acting as “rocket launchers.”
Downing Street also clashed with Elon Musk after the billionaire used his X platform to claim that a “civil war” in Britain was inevitable and to spread the conspiracy theory that white far-right protesters were treated more harshly by the police than minorities.
Tim Newburn, Professor of Criminology and Social Policy at LSE, whose unofficial Reading the Riots investigation into the 2011 riots led to the Home Secretary announcing a review of police powers to stop and search people, said: The Independent: “It would be a mistake not to consider an official investigation.”
He added: “We should do it because we want to reduce the likelihood of something like this happening again. If we want to contain these problems. We can’t prevent it, but to reduce the likelihood, I think we have to be serious about asking these kinds of difficult questions.”
“We cannot let this moment pass without a proper investigation to learn important lessons and prevent social media from fuelling such horrific violence in the future,” said Christine Jardine, spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office.
The “thugs” behind the unrest must face the full force of the law, she said. “But the social media giants must also be held accountable for their duty to prevent criminal activity on their platforms. They have acted too slowly and have proven that they cannot be left to their own devices,” she said.
Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said he supported an investigation into the role of social media.
According to a new YouGov poll, two-thirds of the public believe social media companies should be held accountable for posts that encourage criminal behavior, while seven in ten (70 percent) believe these companies are not regulated strictly enough.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also called on ministers to take another look at the online safety bill, saying the unrest showed that the new regulations that are due to come into force are “not fit for purpose”.
It is intended to oblige platforms to “take robust action against illegal content and activities”.
But Mr Khan blamed social media for misinformation spreading “very quickly”.
The Liberal Democrats want to launch an inquiry into the way social media has been used to organise unrest and incite violence, as well as the impact of conspiracy theories and misinformation spread online.
False claims that the alleged attacker of three young girls in Southport was on a watchlist and was a Muslim were used to incite far-right mobs.
Musk also fell victim to misinformation on his own platform after he spread the false news on Twitter that Sir Keir was considering building prison camps on the Falkland Islands.
Ms Jardine said: “Our hearts remain broken for the family and friends who lost three young girls and for the Southport community who have endured so much suffering over the last few days. Sadly, so much suffering has been caused by violent gangs hell-bent on causing destruction.
“It has been very disturbing to see people in the UK and abroad using social media to organise these riots and incite racist violence on our streets.”
Mr Afzal said it was important to conduct a short inquiry “with a report by next spring so we can prepare for further unrest next summer”. He agreed that the inquiry should examine the role of social media as well as other issues such as the profile of rioters, policing, resilience and preparedness.
Number 10 sources referred to a comment by the Prime Minister on Friday that social media was “not a lawless zone”. “And I think that is clear from the charges and the verdicts,” he added.
“This is a reminder to everyone that whether you are directly involved or just peripherally involved, if you have broken the law you are guilty and will be brought to justice.”
