UK regulator orders social media firms to adopt measures to stop viral illegal content | Social media
Social media companies have been ordered to take emergency measures to stop illegal content from going viral as regulators scramble to stop the spiral of misinformation circulating after the 2024 summer riots.
Sites like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok will need to have a “crisis protocol” in place to intervene when the sharing of dangerous content begins to increase.
Under measures to be implemented by the UK’s technology regulator Ofcom, online platforms will also be required to set aside a dedicated communication channel line through which police can contact them in the event of a crisis.
This follows concerns from senior government officials about the speed at which misinformation is spreading at crucial moments. Ofcom’s announcement also follows rioting in Southampton over the police response to the fatal stabbing of Henry Nowak.
The idea of forcing social media platforms to take emergency measures to stop illegal viral content has been proposed by the Commons science, innovation and technology committee.
He made the recommendation following an investigation into the riots of the summer of 2024, when misinformation spread quickly after three girls were killed at a dance class in Southport.
The report found that “misleading and hateful messages are proliferating rapidly on the internet, amplified by social media companies’ recommendation algorithms.”
Ofcom said it would describe the crisis as “an extraordinary situation where there is a serious threat to public safety in the UK” and that it was likely to have “been caused by a significant increase in relevant content”.
“During a crisis, certain types of illegal content and/or content harmful to children may spread rapidly on the Internet,” he said. “In some cases this could pose a significant risk to public safety in the UK.
“For example, evidence from previous crisis incidents shows how perpetrators use online services to carry out illegal activities, such as inciting racial or religious hatred, making threats or inciting violence. This can lead to an increase in the amount of illegal content circulating online, but can also escalate into violence in the real world.”
“Such crises are exceptional, which means that online service providers’ usual content moderation systems and processes may not be sufficient in such cases.”
The bar for enforcing such protocols is high and directly relates to illegal content. The new measures will come into force after being approved by parliament.
The move is a sign of the urgency of ministers’ and regulators’ willingness to tackle the rate at which misinformation is spreading in an often confusing crisis environment.
Experts examining the flow of dangerous viral content noted that other measures were also successful in countering rapidly spreading misinformation. Analysis by the Center for Emerging Technology and Security (Cetas) found that “take-out” efforts involving police forces, community leaders and local councilors can be effective in alerting communities to misinformation.
Its research found that a swift and coordinated response to an incident in Liverpool where a vehicle crashed into spectators at Liverpool FC’s league championship ceremony in May last year helped reduce the risk of misinformation spreading online.
