Due to unrest in Great Britain, the new British Technology Minister Peter Kyle met with representatives of major social media companies. The minister said, TikTok, Meta, Google and X aim to ensure that hate messages do not spread easily and those who spread them cannot hide.
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Kyle is referring to the unrest that erupted after a knife attack by a 17-year-old in Southport on Monday last week. Three children were killed, eight others and two adults were injured in the attack at a children’s dance school. Immediately after the crime, about a hundred right-wing extremists rioted in Southport. Their attacks were directed against immigrants and Muslims; they attacked, among other things, a mosque. There were also violent actions in London, Liverpool and Birmingham, including at police stations. There were also violent demonstrations in Plymouth and Belfast on Monday.
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Speculation and misinformation quickly spread online about the Cardiff-born suspect, whose family comes from Rwanda. In addition, calls for more violent protests were made through online channels.
“There is a lot of content circulating that the platforms need to deal with quickly,” Kyle’s Ministry posted on X. It is unacceptable for people to use social media to cause harm, suffering and destruction. So he made clear to TikTok, Meta, Google and X their responsibility. Companies should work with the government to stop the spread of disgusting misinformation and hate speech.
A spokesman for the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally criticized Elon Musk Statement on X. Musk commented on a video of protesters throwing incendiary devices with the words that civil war was inevitable. There is no justification for this statement, According to the BBC, the spokesperson said.Social media companies can and should do much more. Starmer said on Sundaythe riots were not protests, but organised violence. It is specifically directed against Muslim communities and is racist.
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