Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the particular role of (1) Telegram, and (2) any small, high-harm platforms, in inciting the riots in Southport between 30 July and 5 August 2024.

The government is clear all social media platforms have a responsibility to keep their users safe and not facilitate those seeking to sow division in our communities. This is why we are working at pace to implement the Online Safety Act.

During last summer’s unrest, the government focused on working with the platforms with the largest reach in the UK. This included referring content contributing to that disorder for platforms to assess and act on in line with their terms of service. We recognise however that the way platforms are used continues to evolve and so keep our approach under review.