Unregulated social media disinformation is wrecking Britain.
Free speech must come with accountability, from TikTok influencers to newspaper editors
MIRIAM CATES1 August 2024 • 6:05pm
The violent scenes following the Southport stabbings were almost wholly the result of misleading posts that spread like wildfire on social media. Fabricated information about the attacker’s race, religion and immigration status was shared and embellished, whipping up outrage across the country. This virtual storm had real world consequences, with riots spreading from Southport to Hartlepool and London.
From the Peasants’ Revolt in the 14th century to the race riots of the early 1980s, England is no stranger to civil unrest. But the invention of social media has exponentially increased the speed at which protests can be triggered and spread.
It is no coincidence that the Arab Spring happened in the early 2010s, at the very moment that smartphones became ubiquitous and global social media usage took off.
It is no coincidence that the Arab Spring happened in the early 2010s, at the very moment that smartphones became ubiquitous and global social media usage took off.
New technology can be used for good or ill, but the ability for false information to spread rampantly online now poses serious security threats in democracies like ours. Outrageous stories – those that tap into our fears or suspicions – are especially prone to virality since social media algorithms amplify incendiary posts.
There are serious questions to answer about why the atmosphere is now so febrile in the UK. But however legitimate the causes of public discontent, we cannot allow Britain to descend into a pattern of violence and lawlessness that is fuelled by reckless online rumours.
Clearly the authorities must do something about social media being used to spread lies and stir up riots. But there are serious risks to civil liberties inherent in any attempt to crack down on online communications. What governments and tech companies class as “misinformation” sometimes turns out to be true.
During Covid, many believe the British state attempted to suppress views that questioned the efficacy of lockdowns or masks, yet much of this scepticism has turned out to be well-founded. And even when the information being shared is just plain wrong, any suspicion of censorship just increases the power of conspiracy theories.
The sad truth is that Britain is now a low-trust society. The loss of a cohesive majority culture without democratic consent and a failure to allow open debate on these important issues have meant that many people are increasingly distrustful of those in authority. Social media has itself accelerated these trends, drawing users into bespoke and polarising online cultures that erode any empathy for those with different points of view.
But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done. The principal weakness of social media is that it offers freedom without responsibility. In the regulated traditional media, those publishing information are fully identifiable and face serious financial and even criminal sanctions if they are found to be lying. Yet online anonymous users can say whatever they like without repercussions. Freedom without responsibility is just anarchy.
These volatile political undercurrents are not going to evaporate any time soon. But we can avoid a descent into civil unrest by translating our historically successful “offline” rules around free speech into the online space by outlawing anonymous accounts.
Our freedoms must be balanced with responsibility. Free speech must come with accountability, whether you’re a TikTok influencer or the editor of a newspaper. DT.
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