Online safety act powerless to stop misinformation spread across social media sites

The UK Government is under increasing pressure to tighten online safety laws following the spread of misinformation that has led to far-right riots across the country.

The Online Safety Act, which came into effect earlier this year, is already facing calls for reform as concerns grow about its effectiveness in combating harmful content.

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has urged the Government to take stronger action against social media platforms that fail to prevent the spread of false information.

“It is clear that more robust measures are needed to protect the public from the dangerous consequences of online misinformation,” Starmer said.

Recent events have highlighted the limitations of the current legislation, as social media played a significant role in inciting unrest.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 5 Live that social media platforms put “rocket boosters” under content promoting far-right behaviour, and that companies would need to “take some responsibility for this.”

Critics argue that the act, while a step in the right direction, does not go far enough to hold tech companies accountable for content that leads to real-world harm.

A spokesperson for Ofcom – the regulatory body responsible for enforcing the act – has said that it is unable to take action against social media firms for harmful posts inciting the recent riots as the powers from the act have not come into full force yet.

“We expect the illegal harms duties to come into force from around the end of the year, the children’s safety duties from spring, and the additional duties on the largest services in 2026. If tech companies don’t comply when the time comes, we’ll have a broad range of enforcement powers at our disposal to ensure they’re held fully accountable for the safety of their users.”

Ofcom said it would have to consult on “codes of practice and guidance” before making specific sanctions against social media companies for hosting dangerous content.

The spokesperson added this “will not involve us making decisions about individual posts or accounts”.

Government officials have acknowledged the need for ongoing evaluation and possible amendments to the Online Safety Act.

A spokesperson for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology stated, “We are committed to ensuring the legislation evolves to address emerging threats and continues to protect users.”

As the debate continues, there is a growing consensus that without stronger enforcement and clearer guidelines, the spread of dangerous misinformation will persist, undermining public safety and social stability.