There was a “clear connection” between the violent disorder in England and Northern Ireland in the summer and posts on social media and messaging apps, Ofcom has concluded.
The government had asked the media regulator to consider how illegal content and disinformation spread during the unrest.
In an open letter setting out its findings, external, Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes said such content spread “widely and quickly” online following the stabbings in Southport, in July, which preceded the disorder.
She added most online services took “rapid action”, but said the responses of some firms were “uneven”.
“Posts about the Southport incident and subsequent events from high-profile accounts reached millions of users, demonstrating the role that virality and algorithmic recommendations can play in driving divisive narratives in a crisis period,” Dame Melanie wrote.
Experts say it shows the power – and responsibility – social media platforms have.
“Ofcom is saying that social media posts inciting riots are not just words – they play a big part in fanning the flames of disorder,” said Rashik Parmar, from BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
“There should be accountability where platforms allow dangerously divisive content to go unchecked,” he added.
Media analyst Hanna Kahlert, at Midia Research, said Ofcom’s findings amounted to a “call for social platforms to take greater ownership of the impact of content.”
