Sign up for the View from Westminster email newsletter and receive expert analysis straight to your inbox.
Get our free email entitled “View from Westminster”
There are calls against Keir Starmer to order an investigation into social media to prevent the platforms from fuelling future unrest following the horrific scenes of the last few days.
Cabinet ministers warned that online posts were fuelling the organisation of violence, while MPs at 10 Downing Street clashed with Elon Musk after he claimed on his X platform that “civil war is inevitable” in Britain.
Important lessons must be learned to prevent social media from “fuelling” similar outbreaks in the future, the Liberal Democrats said.
The Prime Minister said police should remain on “high alert” amid fears there could be further unrest this weekend.
6,000 riot police are to be deployed at potential hotspots. Almost 600 arrests have already been made in connection with the unrest.
Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, warned that those “seeking violence and destruction have not disappeared”.
He also suggested increasing police patrols at lower league matches, amid fears of riots at the start of the football season.
Sir Keir also warned online participants that they could face legal action if they broke the law, and advised those responsible for social media to be aware of the real consequences of the messages they publish.
After the unrest, ministers must “take a more comprehensive look at social media,” he added.
His warning came after Jordan Parlour, 28, a Facebook user who called on people to attack a hotel housing asylum seekers, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for inciting racial hatred at Leeds Crown Court on Friday.
“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.
She said the “thugs” behind the riots must face the full force of the law. “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.
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 take these kinds of difficult questions seriously.”
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, but 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 rules that are due to come into force are “not effective”.
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 how social media is being 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 the three young girls in Southport was on a watch list 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 “to produce a report by spring next year so that 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.
No 10 sources referred to a comment made 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: whether you are directly involved or only peripherally involved, you are to blame and will be brought to justice if you have broken the law.”
