The news website accused of fueling UK riots
Channel3Now has been implicated in spreading misinformation about a Southport attack, contributing to riots and violence against Muslim communities, resulting in over 700 arrests and scrutiny over its credibility.
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Channel3Now, a news website, has been implicated in spreading misinformation that contributed to riots in Southport and other UK cities. The site incorrectly reported the name of a 17-year-old charged in connection with the Southport attack and falsely claimed he was an asylum seeker. This misinformation, along with other unverified claims, has been linked to increased violence against mosques and Muslim communities. Investigations revealed that Channel3Now operates as a commercial entity focused on aggregating crime news for profit, with a team spread across the US, UK, Pakistan, and India. The site has publicly apologized for the inaccuracies but has faced scrutiny over its credibility and alleged connections to Russian state propaganda, which it denies. The false information circulated widely on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where accounts with histories of sharing disinformation amplified the claims. Despite the backlash, the site continues to operate, and the responsibility for managing misinformation largely lies with social media platforms, which have been criticized for their inadequate response to disinformation. The recent riots have led to over 700 arrests, highlighting the serious consequences of the spread of false information.
- Channel3Now spread misinformation about the Southport attack, linking it to riots.
- The site operates as a commercial news aggregator with a global team.
- It has denied connections to Russian state propaganda despite scrutiny.
- Social media platforms have been criticized for their role in amplifying disinformation.
- Over 700 arrests have been made in connection with the riots following the misinformation.
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1 commentsThe fact that so many people were a spark away from doing this is far more disturbing and requires a lot more study.
You can prosecute this website and yell Putin Putin.
The regular way of just writing things off "right wing extremists" is not a good overall strategy.
Society needs to adress the reasons why so many citizens are This angry and ready for violence.
Eventually these riots will (probably) stop. But if all it takes to wake them is another small spark then none of the actual problems have been addressed.
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