The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for a review of laws designed to counter misinformation after online falsehoods contributed to recent far-right riots. Khan highlighted the need for swift action to revisit the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA) following violent unrest in England and Belfast. The remarks were made after Elon Musk shared a fake Telegraph article on X, prompting concerns about the spread of harmful content. The European Commission has noted that its investigation into X may also consider its handling of content related to the recent England riots.
Then, on Friday, the Financial Times (£) reported that the UK government is reconsidering whether to introduce controversial powers that would force internet companies to remove “legal but harmful” content. The news comes after the first prison sentence was given to an individual who fueled recent far-right riots by stoking tensions online. While officials have discussed reviving the proposal, which was dropped in 2022 due to opposition from the tech industry and free speech advocates, no final decisions have been made.
The story continued on Tuesday as the former Twitter EMEA Vice President, Bruce Daisley, commented in The Guardian that Elon Musk and other executives should be reminded of their potential criminal liability for their actions under existing laws. Daisley called for immediate strengthening of the OSA. He also suggested that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's team should reconsider whether Ofcom, the media regulator, is equipped to handle the rapid actions of individuals like Musk.
Then, on Wednesday, the Financial Times (£) reported that the OSA would face "its first significant test" in the aftermath of the UK riots as the first three cases involving offences prohibiting the spread of false information get underway. The courts must now consider the line between where freedom of expression rights end and where criminality begins.
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