Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of social media platforms in inciting the riots in Southport between 30 July and 5 August 2024.

• The primary responsibility for harmful social media content rests with those individuals and groups who create and post it. Anyone who stokes this sort of violence, whether on the internet or in person, can face jail time.
• However, social media platforms also have a responsibility to ensure that those seeking to stir up hate online, or spread misinformation and disinformation, are not being facilitated by the platform or service.

The government engages constructively with all social media platforms, whilst being clear about their responsibility to deal with harmful content.