UK regulator warns online platforms of rising risks after Belfast attack


Banner with a message in memory of student Henry Nowak, the victim of a knife attack in the southern England city of Southampton last December, in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

LONDON, June ⁠10 (Reuters) - Britain's media regulator ⁠Ofcom on Wednesday warned ‌online platforms of possible legal consequences if their services are used ​to incite violence ⁠and spread ⁠hatred linked to recent civil unrest ⁠in ‌Belfast, following a knife attack ⁠in the city.

Ofcom said it had ​told ‌the online providers in ⁠a ​letter that some of the unrest in Belfast appeared ⁠to have been ​fuelled online and included racially motivated violence, arson attacks on ⁠homes and vehicles and assaults on police.

It said it had reminded companies of ​their duties ⁠under the Online Safety Act ​to assess ‌and mitigate illegal content.

(Reporting ​by William James, writing by Sam Tabahriti)

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