As riots rock the streets of cities across Britain, some Members of Parliament (MPs) are trying to blame social media—they do not want government policy on issues such as immigration, policing, and social services to be at the center of the discussion about the country's civil unrest. Instead, they argue that these riots are primarily fueled by discussions happening on social media and are using the opportunity to advocate for restrictions on U.K. citizens' speech and access to information.
MPs want social media companies to ban user accounts accused of inciting violence, and they have criticized these companies for not following such instructions previously. Labour MP Chris Curtis argued that social media bosses need to "step up and deal with vile messages stoking division and egging on violence." Similarly, Conservative and Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said it was "unacceptable for [social media companies] to take the profits but not comply with their responsibilities." Some MPs even want to haul X owner Elon Musk before a Parliamentary committee to explain the platform's "role in spreading misinformation."
