Sadiq Khan Calls for Tougher Measures Against Social Media ‘Outrage Economy’

London’s Mayor Demands Tougher Action Against Social Media Disinformation

Sadiq Khan has issued an urgent call for ministers to take stronger measures against social media companies spreading false information about London, following research showing a dramatic increase in hostile online content regarding the city’s crime rates and integration.

Addressing attendees at a disinformation summit in Cambridge on Thursday, Khan warned that without decisive action, the spread of conspiracy theories online could potentially fuel domestic terrorism. He characterized the problem as “the outrage economy” that is “eating away at the basic bonds of trust that hold our societies together.”

“We’re right to expect big tech to do better but we should not rely on it,” Khan stated. “If platforms fail to act, the state must have the tools to make them. That’s why I’ll continue lobbying the government publicly and privately to take a much tougher approach.”

Research conducted by an analysis unit within the Greater London Authority reveals alarming trends. Over the past two years, online narratives portraying London as particularly dangerous have increased by 150-200%, while content focusing on migration’s supposed impact on the city has surged by 350%.

Khan has directly appealed to social media companies by writing to them demanding changes. However, his comments suggest growing frustration with both the companies’ responses and Ofcom’s ability to enforce existing regulations. He called for “a new central body with the agility and authority to protect our democracy from disinformation” and “more aggressive enforcement of the rules we already have.”

The mayor, who has long been a target for Islamophobic and abusive social media posts, particularly during his public disagreements with Donald Trump, described how online disinformation now portrays London as “a fallen city overtaken by Islamist immigrants where crime goes unpunished and basic decency has all but disappeared.”

The research indicates that while some misinformation originates from U.S. sources, other posts are connected to Russian or Chinese state interests. In some cases, AI technology in locations such as Vietnam is being used to spread falsehoods by masquerading as legitimate local news sources.

Khan warned that the pattern of attacks is expanding beyond London. “The same people attacking the capital have already started targeting other cities around the world. And in a few years’ time I think we’ll look back on London as the canary in the coalmine. But I hope we’ll also see it as the place where the fightback began.”

The mayor highlighted the potentially dangerous real-world consequences of online falsehoods, citing the case of Kevin Rees, a 63-year-old retiree who became involved in online conspiracies after opposing the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone. Rees was imprisoned in January for detonating a homemade bomb that destroyed an enforcement camera, an explosion that police said could have been fatal.

Khan emphasized that his call for action is not about suppressing free speech but protecting vulnerable communities and public servants. “To anyone who cynically seeks to delay, deflect or deny by turning this crisis into a debate about our unfettered freedom to post, I say this: tell that to charity staff being threatened by strangers at their door after they were doxed online, or the parents struggling to reach their children as they’re dragged ever deeper into the darkest corners of the internet,” he said.

“Tell that to the Jewish and Muslim people who tell me they don’t feel safe walking to synagogues and mosques, or the staff in schools and hospitals facing an endless tirade of harassment and abuse.”

The mayor’s intervention comes amid growing international concern about the role of social media in spreading disinformation and its impact on democratic processes, community cohesion, and public safety.