ISD’s Milo Comerford and Jacob Davey on policy responses to the Southport riots

Following the mass stabbing in Southport, the UK witnessed some of the most severe far-right rioting in decades. In an op-ed for Lawfare, ISD analysts Milo Comerford and Jacob Davey argue that police-led responses alone are inadequate for tackling extremism. They stress the need for updated, cross-governmental policies that can address the “hybridised and post-organisational dynamic” showcased by these riots.

The authors urge lawmakers to ensure that the Online Safety Act (OSA) is “effectively monitoring not only the larger social media platforms but also high-risk smaller and medium-sized services.” They also highlight the “urgent need for mandated data access from social media platforms for independent researchers” to enhance transparency and oversight. Furthermore, Comerford and Davey argue that social media regulation must include crisis response mechanisms “to ensure that platforms have clear and proportionate provisions in place to respond with urgency in situations where online activity is translating into offline violence.”

You can read the full piece here and read more about ISD’s comments to the media about Southport here.