Sadiq Khan Demands Stronger Action Against Social Media 'Outrage Economy'
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to implement significantly stronger measures against social media companies that propagate disinformation. This appeal follows a study revealing a dramatic increase in hostile accounts disseminating falsehoods about London's crime rates and integration issues.
Surge in False Narratives
Research compiled by an analysis unit within the Greater London Authority indicates an alarming rise in online misinformation. Over the past two years, narratives portraying London as particularly dangerous have surged by 150% to 200%. Additionally, content focusing on the supposed impact of migration on the city has increased by a staggering 350%.
Khan, speaking at a disinformation summit in Cambridge, emphasized that this "outrage economy" is eroding the fundamental bonds of trust within society. He warned that without robust action, the spread of conspiracy theories online could potentially lead to more domestic terrorism.
Call for Government Intervention
The Labour mayor argued that while big tech companies should be expected to do better, reliance on them alone is insufficient. "If platforms fail to act, the state must have the tools to make them," Khan stated. He pledged to continue lobbying the government both publicly and privately for a much tougher approach.
Khan proposed the establishment of a new central body with the agility and authority to protect democracy from disinformation. He also called for more aggressive enforcement of existing rules, stressing that regulators like Ofcom need the power to impose meaningful penalties on non-compliant companies.
Personal Experience and Broader Threats
Sadiq Khan has long been a target for Islamophobic and other abusive social media posts, particularly during his public disputes with former US President Donald Trump. Recently, this abuse has expanded into widespread content falsely describing London as a fallen city overrun by Islamist immigrants where crime goes unpunished.
The new research reveals that while some misinformation originates from US sources, other posts are linked to Russian or Chinese state interests. Artificial intelligence technology in countries like Vietnam is also being used to spread falsehoods, sometimes by impersonating legitimate local news sources.
Real-World Consequences
Khan highlighted the tangible dangers of unchallenged falsehoods, citing the case of Kevin Rees, a 63-year-old retiree who became radicalized by online conspiracies after opposing the expansion of London's ultra-low emission zone. Rees was jailed in January for detonating a homemade bomb that destroyed an enforcement camera, an act police said could have been fatal.
"The same people attacking the capital have already started targeting other cities around the world," Khan noted. "In a few years' time I think we'll look back on London as the canary in the coalmine. But I hope we'll also see it as the place where the fightback began."
Defending Free Speech
Khan insisted that his call for action is not an attempt to suppress free speech. He addressed critics directly, saying: "To anyone who cynically seeks to delay, deflect or deny by turning this crisis into a debate about our unfettered freedom to post, I say this: tell that to charity staff being threatened by strangers at their door after they were doxed online, or the parents struggling to reach their children as they're dragged ever deeper into the darkest corners of the internet."
He also mentioned Jewish and Muslim communities who report feeling unsafe walking to synagogues and mosques, as well as school and hospital staff facing relentless harassment and abuse.
Khan concluded that the era of social media companies operating without accountability must end, and that comprehensive government action is essential to safeguard societal trust and prevent real-world harm.
