Tech firms in UK must have plan for illegal content spikes during crises like Southport: regulator

Tech firms in Britain will need to have plans to respond to surges in illegal content during crises such as the 2024 Southport riots which threaten public safety under strengthened rules set out by the regulator on Tuesday.

Nationwide violence broke out two ‌years ago ⁠following ⁠a knife attack in the northern England city of Southport, which left three young girls dead at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Authorities said inflammatory and misleading content circulating widely online had fuelled that unrest.

Under the new measures announced by regulator Ofcom, social media and other online platforms would ⁠be expected ‌to put in place crisis-response protocols to handle sharp increases in illegal content.