Urgency call over social media powers

The Holiday Inn Express at Manvers in Rotherham was damaged during a riot at the weekend

New powers to stop social media platforms being used to incite violence need to be fast-tracked in the light of recent rioting, an MP has said.

The Online Safety Act was passed in 2023 in a bid to stop social media from being used for illegal activities, including racially aggravated public order offences.

Under the law, tech firms were made more responsible for users’ safety and a duty to remove illegal content was imposed on social media companies like Facebook and X.

But Sheffield Labour MP Clive Betts has said that while the new rules were not due to come in until 2025, the current disorder showed "we cannot wait that long".

Clive Betts MP says social media firms "have a licence to do what they want"

Mr Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, added: “This is a real challenge now. Legislation was passed before the general election which is not fully in effect yet.

“We need to speed up this legislation and get the framework in place quickly. Social media companies currently have a licence to do what they want.

“They say they are going to monitor accounts and posts, but they have never dealt with this properly.”

Individuals misusing social media should also face tough penalties, Mr Betts said.

“What we have seen over these last couple of weeks is incitement to commit offences and racial hatred on social media and people have to be held to account," he said.

Jo White, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, said she believed trouble had started on social media during this year's general election campaign.

She said: “My experience from the election is that social media companies failed to take action, even when people were being threatened.

“I will be pursuing this vigorously because threats of violence are not unusual and are rarely removed by social media companies."

Ms White added that "misogyny and hate speak have been amplified in recent times due to the platforms that social media provides".

"This is very different to the standards that broadcast and print media are being held to - and this is where the challenge lies," she said.

The BBC has approached Facebook and X for comment.

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