The UK government has issued a stern warning to its citizens this week, urging them to exercise caution when posting content online, particularly material deemed offensive. The government has emphasized that those who incite “hatred” risk facing imprisonment.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) took to social media on Wednesday with a message addressed to the public: “Think before you post!” This warning comes amidst a wave of riots that have deeply divided the nation.
“Content that incites violence or hatred isn’t just harmful – it can be illegal,” the government agency stated. “The CPS takes online violence seriously and will prosecute when the legal test is met. Remind those close to you to share responsibly or face the consequences.”
The CPS further clarified, “The British government is cracking down on people who share social media posts about the U.K. riots that it judges are ‘likely to start racial hatred.'”
This message was subsequently amplified by the GOV.UK website’s official account.
The UK has been embroiled in a series of violent protests in recent days, sparked by a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event that tragically claimed the lives of three young girls and left others injured.
The murders, allegedly committed by an 18-year-old British citizen with Rwandan heritage, ignited a wave of violent protests, tapping into broader anxieties about the scale of immigration in the UK.
Footage of the violent clashes between anti-immigration protesters and counter-protesters, some of whom have been seen , has gone viral on social media, prompting the government to issue a strong warning about the potential consequences of sharing such content.
Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, previously warned against “publishing or distributing material which is insulting or abusive which is intended to or likely to start racial hatred. So, if you retweet that, then you’re republishing that and then potentially you’re committing that offense [incitement to racial hatred].”
He further emphasized, “We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media. Their job is to look for this material, and then follow up with identification, arrests, and so forth.”
Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report.