In a world where every moment is shared online, misinformation can spark chaos in a matter of minutes, and the Southport riots in July 2024 stand as a reminder of the power and peril of social media. In the aftermath of the Southport stabbing attack, social media became a catalyst for spreading misinformation and fuelling violence. Fivecast’s latest industry brief explores the misinformation that led to the riots and how Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) can be applied to identify extremist behaviour and violent calls to action.
The role of social media in the riots
Telegram and TikTok and other mainstream social media platforms were used to spread inflammatory misinformation, mobilise far-right groups, and organise violent protests across the UK.
Research by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) revealed a staggering 327% increase in posting activity on far-right Telegram channels in the 10 days following the incident. This surge in activity highlights the challenges law enforcement face in monitoring and controlling the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
The spread and challenges of misinformation
By August 2024, TikTok had amassed over 4.92 billion downloads worldwide, making it incredibly challenging for analysts to monitor and filter information at this scale.
False information about the suspect’s identity and the nature of the attack spread widely, escalated fears and fuelled violent protests. Prominent figures with large followings amplified the narratives, and platform algorithms kept misinformation visible, even after it was disproved. By August 2024, TikTok had amassed over 4.92 billion downloads worldwide, making it incredibly challenging for analysts to monitor and filter information at this scale.
Each social media platform presented unique challenges for authorities. The structure and lack of moderation on platforms like Telegram and TikTok facilitated the rapid spread of misinformation. Despite efforts to monitor and moderate content, the sheer volume of posts and the ease of creating new channels allowed groups to evade detection and continue spreading false information, making it very difficult to control once it started spreading.
The role of OSINT in combating misinformation
OSINT is crucial in today’s digital age and requires specific skill sets for identifying and analysing violent extremism on social media. This is due to the complexity of keeping up with the pace of various groups on these platforms and the scale of data involved. An effective OSINT solution leverages AI and machine learning to address this challenge, enhancing analysts’ skill sets and saving valuable time and resources.
Fivecast provides a market-leading OSINT solution, Fivecast ONYX, that leverages advanced data collection across millions of data sources combined with AI and machine learning, enabling analysts to quickly identify risky data and potential threats. This capability is essential for law enforcement to swiftly prioritise and respond to the most critical threats, keeping our communities safe.
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