Sadiq Khan Demands Government Action on Social Media 'Outrage Economy'
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has issued a stark warning about the dangers of social media disinformation, urging ministers to take significantly stronger action against tech companies. Speaking at a disinformation summit in Cambridge, Khan highlighted what he termed "the outrage economy," which he argues is eroding public trust and could fuel domestic terrorism.
Surge in Hostile Online Narratives
Research from the Greater London Authority's analysis unit reveals alarming trends. Over the past two years, there has been a 150% to 200% increase in online narratives falsely portraying London as particularly dangerous. Additionally, content focusing on the supposed impact of migration on the city has surged by 350%. Khan emphasized that this disinformation is not just a local issue but part of a global pattern, with some posts linked to Russian or Chinese state interests and AI technology from places like Vietnam spreading falsehoods.
"We're right to expect big tech to do better but we should not rely on it," Khan stated. "If platforms fail to act, the state must have the tools to make them. That's why I'll continue lobbying the government publicly and privately to take a much tougher approach."
Call for Regulatory Overhaul
Khan proposed the creation 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, arguing that regulators like Ofcom need greater powers to hold companies accountable. "Unless regulators like Ofcom have the power to hit companies where it hurts, they'll keep on getting away with it," he warned.
The mayor, who has long been a target for Islamophobic and abusive social media posts, particularly during his clashes with Donald Trump, noted that false narratives have expanded. He described how content now falsely depicts London as "a fallen city overtaken by Islamist immigrants where crime goes unpunished and basic decency has all but disappeared."
Risks of Violence and Terrorism
Khan warned that unchallenged falsehoods could lead to violence and terrorism. He cited the case of Kevin Rees, a 63-year-old retiree who became embroiled in online conspiracies after opposing London's ultra-low emission zone expansion. Rees was jailed in January for blowing up an enforcement camera with a homemade bomb, an act police said could have been fatal.
"The same people attacking the capital have already started targeting other cities around the world," Khan said. "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 about suppressing free speech. He addressed critics directly: "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 highlighted the impact on vulnerable communities, noting that Jewish and Muslim people have expressed fears about safety when visiting synagogues and mosques, while staff in schools and hospitals face relentless harassment.
Khan concluded that this new outrage economy is "eating away at the basic bonds of trust that hold our societies together" and must be tackled head-on to prevent further harm.
