Keir Starmer confirms Online Safety Act to be reviewed after far-right riots

Keir Starmer has said ministers will review online misinformation laws after a spreading of falsehoods contributed to this month’s far-right riots.

The prime minister said social media was “not a law-free zone” during a visit to a police station on Friday.

He was asked about remarks made by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, that the Online Safety Act was not fit for purpose and needed to be revisited.

Asked whether he agreed with Khan, Starmer told broadcasters: “I do agree that we’re going to have to look more broadly at social media after this disorder, but the focus at the moment has to be on dealing with the disorder and making sure that our communities are safe and secure.”

There have been calls for the Online Safety Act, which empowers the media regulator to fine social media platforms that fail to tackle disinformation, to be enforced more quickly.

On social media, the prime minister said: “The first thing I’d say is, this is not a law-free zone. And I think that’s clear from the prosecutions and sentencing. Today we’re due sentencing for online behaviour.

“That’s a reminder to everyone that whether you’re directly involved or whether you’re remotely involved, you’re culpable, and you will be put before the courts if you’ve broken the law. And so that’s happening today, that sentencing.”

Khan told the Guardian on Thursday: “I think very swiftly the government has realised there needs to be amendments to the Online Safety Act. I think what the government should do very quickly is check if it is fit for purpose. I think it’s not fit for purpose.”

Earlier on Friday, a minister said Khan raised a “legitimate policy challenge” when he told the Guardian there needed to be amendments to the legislation.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the paymaster general, said the government was prepared to “quickly review and consider” the act, and that police would “come after people” found to be inciting violence online.

“If we need to act in relation to online safety laws, we will. Sadiq Khan’s challenge is that we quickly review it, consider it, and that’s exactly what we will do … That’s a very legitimate policy challenge; it’s important to get that right.

“But irrespective of that policy debate, people who are acting now doing illegal things online like inciting violence, encouraging violence, organising violence, that is against the law now, and if you are doing that now, just as if you are engaging in threats or violent disorders on our streets, the police will come after you.

“They will also come after you if you are behaving like that online as well,” he said.

The act became law last October and gives Ofcom the power to fine social media companies up to £18m or 10% of their global turnover if they fail to take robust action against content inciting violence or terrorism.

Ofcom is still drafting guidelines on how it will implement the law, and enforcement is not expected to begin until next year. Existing laws on inciting violence rely on the 1986 Public Order Act, which was passed long before social media existed and requires police to comb online platforms for potential breaches.

Khan added that there were “things that could be done by responsible social media platforms”, but was reluctant to say the government or politicians should leave social media platforms such as X.

He said: “That was an argument made many years ago about some newspapers, and the reality is it’s our job as politicians to reach the electorate – particularly the case when you’ve got people playing on people’s fears.

“One of the ways we can address people’s fears is using the medium that’s used by citizens, and that is social media platforms. Boycotting a platform … you can’t cut off your nose to spite your face,” he said.

On the responsibility of social media platforms to help tackle the circulation of falsehoods online, Khan said: “If they don’t sort their own house out, regulation is coming.”