Plaid Cymru calls for tougher action against social media giants for fanning racism and intolerance

Rhun ap Iorwerth, has urged the UK Government to take “a much tougher stance” in holding social media companies to account for the spread of “racial and religious intolerance” on their sites.

The Plaid Cymru leader also warned that social media giants, together with traditional media and politicians bear responsibility for a ‘rise in racial and religious intolerance’.

False information spread on social media about the identity of the alleged Southport knife attacker has been seen as playing a role in sparking the recent violence across parts of the UK, leading to calls for tougher regulation.

Experts have highlighted a number of high-profile online figures sharing false information about the suspect, now named as 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana.

Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, pointed to posts by former actor Laurence Fox and former kickboxer Andrew Tate, while others said misinformation had been used by a “vocal minority” to sow division and “fuel their own agenda and trigger a summer of thrill-seeking impulsive insurrection”.

Commentators have been particularly concerned about the impact of content on X, formerly Twitter, whose owner Elon Musk has been heavily criticised for his own posts about the disorder.

The billionaire has engaged with posts by far-right figure Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, suggested that civil war in the UK was “inevitable”, and retweeted a fake Daily Telegraph headline suggesting rioters would be sent to detention camps in the Falkland Islands.

Taoiseach

Mr ap Iorwerth highlighted measures announced by the Taoiseach of Ireland, Simon Harris, who announced more stringent codes of conduct to hit social media companies with fines of tens of millions of euros if they breach Irish laws.

He urged the British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, to “speed up changes in the law to combat the spread of racial and religious intolerance on social media sites”.

The Plaid Cymru leader also called for measures to be taken to address the underlying causes of extremism in order to “stem the growth of this social crisis”.

He said that it was crucial to end the “normalisation of racism and religious intolerance”, and “ensuring that communities don’t feel forgotten, and by accepting responsibility for endemic poverty and deprivation.”

Intolerance

“The recent rise in racial and religious intolerance hasn’t emerged from nowhere, Mr ap Iorwerth said.

“Rioters chanting ‘stop the boats’ and ‘we want our country back’ reflect language used by politicians, including Prime Ministers, MPs, and Senedd members.

“For many years, politicians have normalised intolerance – amplified by parts of the British media – in order to deflect blame onto others for the political failure in addressing the scourge of deprivation in our communities.

“We in Wales must now challenge the conditions that embolden the far right, to stem the growth of this social crisis. We do that by ending the normalisation of racism and religious intolerance.

“We do it by ensuring that communities don’t feel forgotten, and by accepting responsibility for endemic poverty and deprivation. If we fail to address those underlying issues, the feeling of isolation that make people vulnerable to extremist ideas will only worsen.

“Those newspapers that poison our public discourse bear a responsibility for this crisis, but it also extends beyond traditional media to digital platforms like Twitter, now X, which Elon Musk has turned into a breeding ground for hate and division. He in particular plays a significant role in this current crisis and must be held accountable.

“It is encouraging to see the Taoiseach of Ireland announce more stringent codes of conduct to hit social media companies with fines of tens of millions of euros if they breach Irish laws. The UK must also take a much tougher stance, and work internationally to ensure there is no escape from accountability for these social media giants.

“I urge the UK Government to speed up changes in the law to combat the spread of racial and religious intolerance on social media sites, and to lead international efforts to hold them accountable.”

On Friday (9 August) the Prime Minister said the UK Government will have to “look more broadly at social media” after the recent rioting, in an apparent hint that further regulation could be considered.

Sir Keir Starmer told broadcasters: “I do think that we’re going to have to look more broadly at social media after this disorder.”

He added that social media executives should be “mindful of the first priority, which is to ensure that our communities are safe and secure”.

Legally responsible

The Online Safety Act became law last October and will, for the first time, make firms legally responsible for keeping users safe when they use their services.

It will require platforms to put in place clear and proportionate safety measures to prevent illegal and other harmful content from appearing and spreading on their sites.

The biggest platforms could face billions of pounds in fines if they do not comply.

Named managers could be held criminally liable in some instances, and sites may face having their access limited in the most severe cases.

Ofcom, which will oversee the new laws, on Wednesday urged social media companies to do more to deal with content stirring up hatred or provoking violence on Britain’s streets.

The watchdog said: “In a few months, new safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in place, but you can act now – there is no need to wait to make your sites and apps safer for users.”