Key facts
- Wes Streeting has called for platforms like X to be held responsible for costs associated with riots fueled by online content.
- He advocates for criminal prosecution of platform bosses and financial contributions from companies towards riot cleanup and rebuilding.
- Streeting criticized the current reliance on Ofcom and proposed amendments to the Online Safety Act for faster content removal.
- The UK government stated that Ofcom is responsible for enforcing the Online Safety Act and holding platforms accountable.
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.