THE UK Government must crack down on social media platforms “fuelling violence and hatred” in the wake of riots across Northern Ireland and Scotland, the Prime Minister has been urged.
LibDem leader Ed Davey told Keir Starmer that social media barons such as Twitter/X owner Elon Musk had “aided and abetted” extremism in the UK.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Davey said: “Turning to those horrific scenes in Belfast – too many times we see the same pattern, an appalling crime that makes us all feel immense pain and anger, and then extremists who exploit that grief and anger to spread hatred and violence, aided and abetted by social media barons like Elon Musk and their divisive algorithms.
“Does the Prime Minister agree this is not who we are as a country, and that it is not free speech if it is controlled by tech billionaires and their algorithms?
“So, will he crack down properly on platforms like [Twitter/X] that are fuelling violence and hatred?”
Starmer responded: “We will crack down on anyone who is fuelling this division.”
He added that the country is heading “into a very difficult situation in Northern Ireland” and said people must stay united in calling for calm.
Musk himself has been accused of fuelling violence after promoting calls for people to take to the streets in response to the alleged attempted murder of a man in Northern Ireland by an asylum seeker.
Speaking earlier in the session, Starmer said that the scenes of violence and arson in Belfast on Tuesday evening were “totally unjustified”.
He said: “People are rightly sickened by the horrific attack on Monday night in north Belfast.
“As you have just said, the man arrested has been in court in Belfast this morning and charged.
“I want to thank the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other first responders and members of the public who responded with such bravery, and our thoughts are with the victim.
“But, let me be clear, the acts of violence and arson that followed are totally unjustified.
“This morning I spoke with the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the Chief Constable, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is meeting leaders in Belfast today.
“We are united in calling for calm and determined to restore order, support the police and all those on the front line, and ensure that justice is done.”
Sudanese asylum seeker Hadi Alodid was charged with attempted murder and appeared via video link from Musgrave police station at a court hearing on Wednesday morning.
Steven Ogilvy remains in hospital after a knife attack on Monday evening in which he lost use of his left eye and sustained damage to the other.
