Police have not kept up with the risks posed to the public by social media, a review of the response to last summer’s UK riots has found.
Mosques and hotels housing migrants were among the targets of violence which erupted after Axel Rudakubana stabbed three girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in July.
The police inspectorate found no conclusive evidence the disorder was co-ordinated by extremist groups but said it was mostly incited by “disaffected individuals, influencers or groups” online.
A report published on Wednesday said most of those involved were local and the violence “was mainly unrelated to their ideology or political views”.
“Some of the main reasons for the widespread disorder were social deprivation, austerity and the economic downturn, political policies and decisions on migration and asylum, and decreasing trust and confidence in policing,” it said.
But although the causes were “complex”, the “overwhelming speed and volume of online content further fuelled its spread,” inspectors found.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke said misinformation and disinformation posted online helped fuel the disorder and misleading posts were left up too long.
The review found cash-strapped forces haven’t invested enough in resources and technology, leaving many with an “exceptionally limited capability to effectively manage and respond to online content”.
A head of communications quoted in the report said police had “no proper answer” for managing misinformation and disinformation.
Sir Andy called for social media companies to act more quickly to take down misleading posts and regulator Ofcom to get beefed-up powers to make them take action.
“These companies have got to have responsibility, irrespective of whether they are led from China, led from America,” he said.
He also called for police chiefs to be “braver” in countering disinformation and putting facts into the public domain.
He said the disorder was predictable, despite national assessments that said the risk of unrest was “low”, highlighting previous incidents of hotels housing asylum seekers being attacked.
“We’d seen an awful lot of information on social media or other places in relation to people who were making claims that were either false or were inciting hatred,” he said.
But the review found policing doesn’t sufficiently prioritise intelligence on disorder and did not anticipate the spread of the violence.
Follow our channel and never miss an update
The report also criticised police forces for their lack of preparedness, with one senior intelligence officer describing how police “wrote the manual as it happened”.
Police forces have still not implemented recommendations made by the inspectorate over previous disorder in 2011 and 2021.
“There should have been very clear communication plans, very clear plans to deal with that disinformation, very clear mobilisation plans to get the right people in the right places as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we didn’t see that,” Sir Andy said.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said the report fails to accurately assess policing’s role in countering harmful online material and the challenge requires a coordinated, cross government approach.
NPCC chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “While there are lessons to learn, it is crucial to acknowledge that law enforcement does not – and should not – regulate online content.
“Responsibility for ensuring information is accurate and does not fuel harm lies with those posting it, platform providers and regulatory bodies.”
Mr Stephens said the report did not “fully recognise the successes” of the police media strategy and that “strengthening intelligence alone is not enough to mitigate the risks posed by misinformation”.
“We remain committed to learning from these events, refining our approach, and ensuring policing is prepared, resilient, and proactive in facing future challenges,” he added.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
The report is the second to be published on the policing response to last summer’s riots.
Rudakubana, 18, was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January after he pleaded guilty to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and attempting to murder eight other children and two adults on 29 July last year.
