Specialist police are scouring social media to track down the “hate influencers” accused of inciting riots on British streets. The Mail has more.
Regional organised crime units are working with the specialist officers to investigate hundreds of posts suspected of “spreading hate and inciting violence”.
Far-right mobs across the U.K. carried out a series of riots in the wake of the Southport knife attack after false rumours were spread on social media blaming a Muslim migrant for the attack.
A range of social media sites are being reviewed by officers from the serious and organised crime team, counter-terror police and other national agencies.
Officers would work together to build a “clear intelligence picture” of those believed to be organising and influencing violence both online and in the real world, the National Police Chiefs Council said.
Offenders will then be identified, arrested and charged after content is assessed by a senior investigator to determine whether it meets the criminal threshold. …
Work carried out by specialist officers had already led to the arrest and charging of a number of social media users accused of spreading false information and writing online content likely to incite violence.
On Friday, three “armchair thugs” were jailed for a total of five years including a sign installer who urged a mob to “smash the f**k” out of a migrant hotel.
Read More: Specialist Police Targeting “Hate Influencers” Blamed for Fuelling Riots