Musk and meddling: More social unrest is just an X post away

Tackling the sheer volume and spread of online disinformation will require a multi-pronged approach, writes Emma DeSouza

In Belfast, far-right instigators from south of the border joined arms with paramilitary-linked loyalists to shout racist slurs at communities that have long called Ireland their home. For anyone with an ounce of knowledge about the history of this island their partnership was an affront. 

Looting, arson, violent attacks and unlikely allegiances; over the past week, far-right agitators have been rioting in the streets of England and the North of Ireland. With no centralised organisational structure, how were so many separate organised events able to come together? Unsurprisingly the answer is social media.

Despite its promise of social cohesion, social media has long been criticised for failing to limit or prevent hateful and harmful content; whether it’s Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or TikTok, social media has become the primary vehicle across demographics for inciting hate, spreading disinformation and organising disruption — even violence.