The British government is cracking down on people who share social media posts about the U.K. riots that it judges are “likely to start racial hatred.”
Riots have broken out across the U.K. in recent days over false rumors spread online that an asylum seeker was responsible for a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event that left three girls dead and others wounded. The murders, allegedly committed by a now 18-year-old British citizen born to Rwandan parents, sparked a series of violent protests that tapped into broader concerns about the scale of immigration in the U.K.
Footage of the violent clashes involving anti-immigration protesters and the groups of counter-protesters, some of whom have been seen waving Palestinian flags, has gone viral on social media, and the government is warning that sharing such content may have serious consequences.
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The director of public prosecutions of England and Wales, Stephen Parkinson, warned against “publishing or distributing material which is insulting or abusive which is intended to or likely to start racial hatred. So, if you retweet that, then you’re republishing that and then potentially you’re committing that offense [incitement to racial hatred].”
He added further, “We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media. Their job is to look for this material, and then follow up with identification, arrests, and so forth.”
“So it’s very, very serious. People might think they’re not doing anything harmful. They are. And the consequences will be visited upon them,” Parkinson said.
Sky News home and political correspondent Matthew Thompson, who interviewed Parkinson, reported on the official’s announcement, warning about the implications for British citizens, regardless of their intent.
He agreed with the presenter who said, “People might be sharing [content] simply to warn their friends, but it could be considered an offense because they’re amplifying this.”
“Absolutely, and that’s the key message. However, you think you’re acting innocently on social media, whatever platform it is, you’re just sharing something for whatever reason, that could potentially be a criminal offense,” Thompson responded.
“It’s not an idle threat either, because the Crown Prosecution Service were keen to point out that they’ve made a number of charges in relation to stirring up of racial hatred online, one of which this morning was for distributing a recording that could — intending to stir up racial hatred,” he continued.
“They are actually already bringing charges in relation to this sort of thing. So it’s a very, very clear message based in the harsh reality, if you like, that if you do this kind of thing you are potentially committing a criminal offense,” Thompson reiterated.
“They’ve got teams of people scouring the Internet looking for this sort of thing. And if you are in the business of sharing or re-tweeting, whatever platform it might be, potentially criminal material, well, then you could find yourself prosecuted,” he added.
