Wes Streeting, a UK politician, has urged for action against social media platforms like X that promote violent content, suggesting they should fund riot recovery costs. He criticized the current regulatory approach as insufficient for tackling online incitement.
This story highlights a growing debate over the responsibility of social media platforms in curbing online incitement to violence and the potential for new regulatory or financial penalties. It signals a potential shift in how governments might seek to hold tech companies accountable for the societal impact of their content promotion policies.
Wes Streeting, a prominent figure in UK politics, has urged for decisive action against social media platforms, particularly X, that he believes contribute to societal unrest and violence. Streeting's intervention comes after recent riots in Belfast, which he contends were exacerbated by online content, including posts from X's owner, Elon Musk. He argues that platforms knowingly promoting dangerous content should face criminal charges for their executives and be financially responsible for the damage caused by such incitement.
Streeting's proposal contrasts with the current government approach, which relies on the media regulator Ofcom to enforce the existing Online Safety Act. This act requires platforms to remove illegal content, but its enforcement mechanisms, including X's commitment to quarterly compliance reports, are seen as too slow by Streeting. He also noted that proposed amendments to the Act, aimed at speeding up the removal of inflammatory material during crises, would not take effect until mid-July at the earliest.
This stance follows a previous instance where X faced threats of being blocked in the UK by Labour leader Keir Starmer over the platform's AI tool generating sexualized images of children. In contrast to that situation, Downing Street has indicated that action regarding incitement to violence will be handled by Ofcom, which has the power to fine platforms. A government spokesperson condemned incitement and affirmed that platforms have clear legal responsibilities to remove illegal content, with Ofcom's enforcement powers fully supported.