In reaction to summer riots, the UK's Ofcom will amend its social media regulations.

British regulator Ofcom said Monday that the UK intends to expand its laws against unlawful content on the internet to include social media companies' responses to emergencies such as the recent riots in the nation.For the Online Safety Act, a law enacted in 2023 to regulate unlawful content on online platforms, the government published its initial guidelines. Ofcom stated in the announcement that it is preparing more actions for the upcoming spring, including fresh ideas for eliminating content related to terrorism and child sex abuse. Additionally, "crisis response protocols for emergency events" will be introduced.

Following the deadly stabbings of three young girls in Southport and unfounded reports that the perpetrator was a Muslim asylum-seeker, violent protests erupted throughout the United Kingdom in August. In his second month in office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government faced significant challenges as a result of the riots. Social media providers were urged by Starmer to stop what he described as "violent disorder clearly whipped up online."X's wealthy owner, Elon Musk, has frequently chastised Starmer for how he handled the riots. According to a previous Bloomberg News story, the fallout forced Starmer's Labour party to contemplate tougher regulations to stop online incendiary content.According to Ofcom's initial regulations, businesses have three months to finish evaluating any unlawful damages on their platforms, the organization announced on Monday. According to the regulator, noncompliance can result in fines of up to 10% of a platform's global turnover or, "in very serious cases," a court order that blocks access to the platform's service in the UK.In a statement released Monday, UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said, "These laws represent a fundamental re-set in society's expectations of technology companies." "I'll be keeping a close eye on them to make sure they deliver, and I expect them to do so."