Big Tech is stoking unrest in the UK. Why?
The article explores how social media platforms and big tech companies are contributing to social unrest in the UK by amplifying divisive content, spreading misinformation, and prioritizing engagement over moderation. It questions the role of algorithms in fueling political polarization and public disorder, and examines the regulatory challenges the UK faces in holding these platforms accountable.
Background
The UK is in the grip of far-right, anti-immigration riots that were triggered by a stabbing attack in Southport but have been amplified online. This piece argues that Big Tech platforms — particularly X (Twitter) under Elon Musk, but also Telegram, TikTok and YouTube — are responsible for stoking the unrest through their algorithms and content-moderation policies.
- Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, renamed it X, gutted its trust-and-safety teams, and reinstated accounts previously banned for hate speech. He has personally used the platform to post inflammatory comments about the UK riots.
- Telegram is an encrypted messaging app popular with far-right groups; its founder has resisted moderation requests.
- Under the UK's Online Safety Act (passed 2023), platforms have a legal duty to protect users from illegal content, but enforcement is only now beginning. Critics say the government has been too slow.
- The article's core claim: the business models of these platforms — which maximise engagement via outrage — structurally incentivise the spread of divisive, anti-immigrant content, making them complicit in the unrest.