Britain’s communications watchdog issued a stern warning Wednesday to social media companies about potential legal action after their platforms were used to fuel recent violence in Belfast that followed a stabbing incident in the city.
The regulator, Ofcom, sent correspondence to online service providers stating that some of the Belfast disturbances appeared to have been driven by online activity and featured racially motivated attacks, fires set to homes and cars, and violence against law enforcement officers.
The agency emphasized to these companies their obligations under the Online Safety Act to evaluate and reduce illegal material on their platforms.
