In the UK you can be jailed for years saying the wrong thing in a social media post. That might seem very strange to a non-human intelligent species watching from a distance. Some humans moved their fingers on a keyboard the wrong way, and as a result, they were taken away and locked up in jail. We remember when the Internet was barely a thing and Netscape Navigator (crash crash crash) was seen as some weird geeky computer game type fad. Now what people type and the images they post on line have enough mainstream impact to cause police to appear, in real life, and to arrest and jail people who type forbidden sequences of words. Extra surprising is the claim that the UK will come after US citizens and haul them back to the UK for trial as well. Strange, I had this memory that the USA fought a war to get away from British rule making and enforcing fetishes. So far, there have been no such requests for extradition of US citizens to the UK for posting anything on social media.
What’s the deal, what types of things are people jailed in the UK for saying on social media?
Based on the search results, details support the cases of arrests involving social media posts often involve content deemed to incite violence or hatred.
- The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) warned that “Content that incites violence or hatred isn’t just harmful — it can be illegal”. They stated they would prosecute when the legal test is met.
- UK authorities have arrested and jailed some citizens for social media posts related to recent riots and unrest[1][2][5]. Two men were jailed for 20 months and 38 months respectively for social media posts that incited racial hatred and violence[5][6].
- UK officials have stated they are actively monitoring social media and will prosecute those who post content deemed to incite violence or racial hatred[2][4]. The Director of Public Prosecutions said dedicated police officers are “scouring social media” to identify such content[4].
- Regarding US citizens, a UK police commissioner did threaten potential extradition and prosecution of non-UK citizens for online posts, stating “whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online we will come after you”[3][8]. However, experts note that extraditing US citizens over social media posts would be highly unlikely in practice, given differences in free speech laws between the countries[3].
- The UK government has warned citizens to “think before you post” and that sharing certain content, even without intent to incite violence, could potentially be considered a criminal offense[2][4]. Ofcom, the UK regulator, specifically warned platforms about content being used to “stir up hatred, provoke violence and commit other offenses”.
You Can’t Say That … or That.
The UK government has taken a controversial approach to addressing recent civil unrest by prosecuting and imprisoning individuals for social media posts deemed to incite violence or hatred, even if those individuals did not directly participate in violent acts themselves. Here are the key aspects of this strategy:
Legal Crackdown on Social Media Posts
The authorities are actively monitoring social media platforms and arresting people for posts that:
– Spread misinformation about sensitive topics like immigration
– Call for attacks on specific locations or groups
– Express racist or hateful sentiments
– Encourage others to engage in violent or destructive behavior
Swift Prosecutions and Harsh Sentences
– Individuals are being rapidly charged, tried, and sentenced for their online activities
– Prison sentences of up to 3 years have been handed down for social media posts
– The government aims to make examples of those convicted to deter others
Justification and Criticism
Proponents argue this approach is necessary to:
– Prevent the spread of dangerous misinformation and conspiracy theories
– Stop online rhetoric from translating into real-world violence
– Hold social media users accountable for inflammatory content
Critics contend that it:
– Infringes on free speech rights
– Criminalizes thought and expression rather than actions
– Could be used to suppress legitimate political dissent
Broader Context
This crackdown is part of a larger government response to recent riots, which includes:
– Deploying additional police officers
– Expediting court cases related to the unrest
– Proposing stricter regulation of social media platforms
The UK’s approach has sparked debate about the balance between public safety and civil liberties in the digital age[11][12][5][14][15].
Details of Social Media Post Arrests
Based on the information in a search, here are the key facts regarding arrests for social media posts in the UK:
- Jordan Parlour was sentenced to 20 months in prison for Facebook posts that called for an assault on a hotel housing asylum seekers. The judge noted he was “inciting others to target a hotel” occupied by refugees.
- Tyler Kay received a 38-month sentence for posts on X urging mass deportations and inciting people to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers.
- A 55-year-old woman was arrested for a Facebook post claiming the stabbing suspect was an asylum seeker[2]. She was arrested for “publishing written material to stir up racial hatred” related to false claims about the Southport attacker. This appears to be a separate case from Tyler Kay.
- Lee Joseph Dunn was jailed for sharing images deemed racially aggravated and linked to civil unrest, including one showing men with knives in front of Parliament.
Is it Just Four People?
No. The BBC gave the number, including for social media posts and social unrest, as 118 people now jailed for involvement in some of the worst unrest the UK has seen in over a decade[5]. The same article stated the National Police Chief’s Council said 741 people have now been arrested, of which 302 have been charged.
In summary, while UK authorities are actively prosecuting some citizens for social media posts, threats to extradite US citizens appear to be more rhetoric than a likely reality. However, the UK is taking a stricter approach to online speech compared to the US, particularly around content related to recent unrest.
Outside Influences
There are indications that some misinformation about asylum seekers in the UK may have come from sources outside the UK:
- The role of a previously Russian-owned online news channel, Channel 3 Now, has come under scrutiny. This channel reportedly circulated false information about the attacker in the Southport incident, claiming he was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat[9].
- There are mentions of examining the role of foreign interference in relation to the recent far-right riots in the UK. The UK government is said to be looking into this possibility[9].
AI Partly To Blame?
Rather than Russians, the BBC seems to have tracked the misinformation to a news web site which was spreading posts on X. The site claimed it used the wrong name by mistake, not intentionally. It is easy to imagine that the site was using AI and what people have gone to jail for is an AI hallucination that got past a human editor.
What I found appears to be a commercial operation attempting to aggregate crime news while making money on social media. I did not find any evidence to substantiate claims that Channel3Now’s misinformation could be linked to the Russian state. The person claiming to be from Channel3Now’s management told me that the publication of the false name “shouldn’t have happened, but it was an error, not intentional”. The false article did not have a named byline, and it is unclear exactly who wrote it.[10]
Regardless of the role of ChatGPT in this turmoil, it points to the vulnerability we humans have created for ourselves in letting just anyone (as opposed to journalists with standards of fact checking) post to a mass audience. This is freedom of speech, which used to mean the freedom to stand in the public square and say something. With reach amplified to thousands, even millions, we may need to re-balance this situation. That is what is going on now for us as a species. Do the un-careful have as much right to speak as the careful? This will not be decided any time soon. There is the potential for AI to improve the situation by giving people better information, but human egos may twist this tool to supporting anything we desire to be true, facts be damned.
The Heart of the Matter
Based on the search results and the context provided, here’s a fair summary of what different groups want that has led to the unrest in the UK:
Far-right groups and protesters:
- Want stricter immigration policies and reduced asylum seekers
- Believe false rumors that immigrants or asylum seekers were responsible for violent crimes
- Seek to protect their communities from perceived threats from immigrants
Asylum seekers and immigrants:
- Desire safety and acceptance in their new communities
- Want protection from violence and discrimination
Foreign Governments and Influence Operations
- Aim to sow discord and manipulate public discourse in the UK
- Seek to undermine the UK’s political system and democratic institutions
- Conduct covert and malign political interference activities
- Use state-sponsored disinformation campaigns to influence public opinion and electoral events
Government and law enforcement:
- Aims to disrupt and deter activities of foreign states that undermine UK interests
- Strives to combat foreign interference and protect national security
- Aim to maintain public order and safety
- Want to crack down on misinformation and hate speech online
- Seeks to strengthen regulations on online content moderation and combat disinformation
- Seek to balance free speech with protecting vulnerable groups
Social media companies:
- Desire to maintain their platforms as open forums for discussion
- Want to avoid overly burdensome regulations that could impact their business models
- Aim to address harmful content while preserving user engagement
Civil liberties groups:
- Advocate for preserving freedom of speech online
- Concerned about potential government overreach in regulating online content
- Want to protect privacy and anonymity for internet users
General public:
- Many support stronger measures to combat online harms and protect vulnerable groups
- Others worry about erosion of civil liberties and free speech
- Divided on where to draw the line between safety and freedom of expression
To summarize, the unrest stems from tensions between these competing interests, exacerbated by the spread of misinformation online and underlying social divisions. The trigger for a significant conflict may have been humans passing on information from a news source which may have used AI without adequate fact checking. Specifically, the substitution of a wrong suspect name, subsequently amplified on X, may have triggered existing xenophobia regarding allowing foreingers into the country. The challenge lies in finding a balance that addresses legitimate concerns while preserving democratic freedoms.
Read More
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihonF-_aKnY
[2] https://www.standingforfreedom.com/2024/08/think-before-you-post-the-u-k-is-now-jailing-people-for-social-media-comments/
[3] https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/uk-authorities-threaten-extradition-jail-to-us-citizens-for-online-posts-stoking-riots-social-media-elon-musk-x-stabbing-taylor-swift-themed-event-children-dead-prime-minister-police-laws-free-speech
[4] https://www.foxnews.com/media/uk-government-scouring-social-media-arrest-people-sharing-harmful-riot-footage-regardless-intent
[5] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy76dxkpjpjo
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/09/two-men-jailed-for-social-media-posts-that-stirred-up-far-right-violence
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCa9TC6RZ1c
[8] https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-arrest-over-facebook-comments-predates-british-protests-police-say-2024-08-16/
[9] https://gnet-research.org/2024/09/18/the-uk-riots-misinformation-and-foreign-interference-a-smoking-gun-or-something-else/
[10] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y38gjp4ygo
[11] https://www.barrons.com/news/key-questions-as-uk-begins-jailing-rioters-84ff5d15
[12] https://www.standingforfreedom.com/2024/08/think-before-you-post-the-u-k-is-now-jailing-people-for-social-media-comments/
[13] https://mynbc15.com/news/nation-world/uk-man-jailed-for-20-months-over-facebook-posts-urging-attack-on-migrant-hotel-jordan-parlour-united-kingdom-social-media-crackdown-leeds-england-uk-riots
[14] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/09/two-men-jailed-for-social-media-posts-that-stirred-up-far-right-violence
[15] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-police-arrest-3-for-inciting-hate-violence-on-social-media-amid-far-right-riots/3297799
[16] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/06/police-officers-injured-in-plymouth-and-disorder-in-belfast-as-violence-spreads
[17] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74lwnxxxzjo
