Online Safety Laws Need To Be Implemented Quicker, Says MP In Riot-Hit Town
Around 20 people were arrested at a protest in Blackpool following the stabbing attacks in Southport (Alamy)
4 min read
An MP in a town marred by racist violence spurred on by social media has called for new laws tackling online incitement to be brought in sooner.
Chris Webb, who represents Blackpool South, said big tech companies need to do more to clamp down on the misinformation that led to riots in the wake of the stabbings in Southport last week that have spread across the UK in recent days.
Speaking to The Rundown podcast from PoliticsHome, the Labour MP said provisions in the Online Safety Act should be implemented quicker to prevent further unrest from being fomented on public platforms, as well as in private communication channels.
He said the legislation “needs to go further”, but added: “I definitely believe that we need to look at how we can implement what's already there quicker.”
The act, which was passed by the previous Conservative government last October, gives the regulator Ofcom oversight over a swathe of internet speech and media to try and protect children and adults online.
But it will be rolled out in three phases, with the first part covering illegal harms not due to be finalised until the end of this year, and the last section not until mid-2026.
Webb said he had been frustrated by the response of social media firms in recent days, after Blackpool was hit by violent protest last weekend, with 20 people arrested after around 1,000 people were involved in unrest.
“So since this has begun, I've reported several posts from key individuals in Blackpool who have been inciting violence, racism, and every time I get back this doesn't breach our standards, we’re not taking it down,” he said.
“And these are horrific images that they're not willing to act on, so we need to work with them. We need to be stronger, I think that's been clear, and with us as a new government, I mean, we've got a great opportunity now to push that forward.”
He was responding to comments by Professor Matthew Feldman, a specialist on right-wing extremism who teaches at the University of York, who questioned whether the Online Safety Act was “fit for purpose” in its current form.
Chris Webb out in Blackpool following anti-racism protests on Wednesday night (Alamy)
Speaking on the podcast he said it is unclear if it specifically covers “online incitement to offline criminality and violence”, but said the current unrest provides a “moment where we can actually see some positive change".
Prof Feldman said it was the responsibility of MPs like Webb "to really ask some searching questions about one whether, as it stands, the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose, is ready to go out in the world”, adding: “But secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, speeding up this implementation process that is listed as 18 months from now, we can surely do better.
“It's really cheering that the government has taken a lead and is talking about this, but I think it's a reasonable question to ask; is 2026 too long to wait until we see fundamental changes in the way in which online extremism, that can lead to offline disorder?”
Webb praised both the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle and Prime Minister Keir Starmer for trying to tackle this issue, but added: “I'm getting this about the Online Safety Act from community groups, for those that deal with vulnerable young adults and children in Blackpool, that it needs to go further, and that's what we've got to look at.
“But I definitely believe that we need to look at how we can implement what's already there quicker.”
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