'Dark side' of social media exposed as MPs warn of repeat of Southport riots

The UK's online safety laws would not have "made a difference" to the rapid spread of hate and misinformation that triggered the Southport riots, MPs have said.

In a stark report, the Commons' technology committee warned of the "dark side" of profit-hungry social media firms. It said their business models “incentivise the viral spread of misinformation” and demanded more be done to tame algorithms that bombard users with harmful posts.

In a bleak conclusion, MPs on the committee said Brits are not being kept safe by the UK'sOnline Safety Act (OSA)as the law has "major holes".

On the Southport riots, which were triggered by swirling online misinformation after the murder of three girls, MPs said social media companies "often enabled or even encouraged" the viral spread of harmful content in the lead up to last summer's violence.

READ MORE: Southport inquiry: Parents' heartbreaking statements in FULL as inquiry hears of horror

And in a grim finding, they said tech firms may have profited from it, due to their advertisement and engagement-based business models. They added that platforms and advertisers are “‘unable or unwilling’ to address the monetisation of false and harmful content”.

The committee said: “After the horrific murders in Southport on 29 July 2024, misleading and hateful messaging proliferated rapidly online, amplified by the recommendation algorithms of social media companies.

“Protests turned violent, often targeting Muslim and migrant communities, driven in part by the spread of these messages. These events provide a snapshot of how online activity can contribute to real world violence and hate.

“Many parts of the long-awaited Online Safety Act were not fully in force at the time of the unrest, but we found little evidence that they would have made a difference if they were.”

It said the OSA fails to address algorithms amplifying “legal but harmful content”, leaving the public vulnerable to a repeat of last summer’s crisis.

MPs said they were “concerned” the Government is restricted by a “lack of accurate, up-to-date information” about how such algorithms work, which they said was caused by “a lack of transparency on the part of social media companies”. It called on ministers to commission independent research to fix this.

Committee chair Dame Chi Onwurah said: “Social media can undoubtedly be a force for good, but it has a dark side. The viral amplification of false and harmful content can cause very real harm – helping to drive the riots we saw last summer.

“These technologies must be regulated in a way that empowers and protects users, whilst also respecting free speech. It's clear that the Online Safety Act just isn’t up to scratch.”

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