Latest news with #SirAndyCooke
The Independent
03-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur
There is 'every possibility' that similar violence to the Southport riots of summer 2024 could reoccur, a watchdog chief has said. The police service 'should not be caught off-guard again', His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Sir Andy Cooke wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. Disorder broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29 last year. It quickly spread to other areas and mosques, community centres and libraries were attacked while hotels housing asylum seekers were also targeted. A year later, Sir Andy said the 'tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated'. He said: 'The police service should not be caught off-guard again. There is every possibility that similar violence could reoccur. 'Online misinformation continues to spread. Community tensions persist. The tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated. 'The police service must modernise its understanding of how disorder develops and spreads in the digital age.' In recent weeks, multiple demonstrations have been held outside the Bell Hotel in Epping after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Protests have been held in other areas against the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers since. Several demonstrators were detained by police after rival groups gathered at a protest against the use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers on Saturday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police imposed conditions on a protest and counter-protest outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London. A man wearing an England football shirt was detained by police after a confrontation with officers. A group of anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction outside the hotel, with officers pushing into the crowd to detain several people, dragging them out by their arms and legs. The group was moved from the road and officers told them they were in breach of the conditions put on the demonstration, before forming a circle around the protesters. At about 3.30pm, police said there had been nine arrests, including seven on suspicion of breaching Public Order Act conditions. A protest and counter-protest also took place in Newcastle outside the New Bridge Hotel and four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, Northumbria Police said. The inspectorate conducted a review of the police response to last summer's disorder and the findings reveal 'critical gaps that left forces unprepared for the scale and nature of the violence they faced', Sir Andy said. He said social media and online platforms 'amplified false narratives and incited participation at a pace that traditional policing approaches simply could not match'. He added: 'The police service hasn't kept pace with the fast-developing nature of online communications. And forces were not equipped to deal with the repercussions as the disorder rapidly unfolded. The national mobilisation plan was activated too late. 'Intelligence systems failed to adequately predict the rising threat. Most concerning of all, forces had not learnt sufficiently from previous instances of disorder, including the need to react to changing public sentiment. 'At a time of national emergency, the police intelligence strategy – necessary for forces to respond effectively – should be clear and obvious to all.' Sir Andy said it is 'vital' that forces learn from these events and 'strengthen their response to future instances of disorder to make sure the public are kept safe'. He added that it is 'positive to see that the police have worked with others to improve the provision of intelligence to national and local commanders'.
Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Southport riots: social media giants ‘must remove disinformation'
Social media giants must show 'social responsibility' and act quicker to remove disinformation online such as the posts that fuelled the riots last summer, the policing inspectorate has warned. Sir Andy Cooke, his majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, said that he feared some companies 'might even want to encourage some of this', referring to the false posts that claimed the Southport attack was carried out by an asylum seeker. Sir Andy Cooke LUCY YOUNG FOR THE TIMES While events may drive people to social media, technology companies must be vigilant about public safety. He said: 'They've got to have social responsibility. Bearing in mind some of these companies are not British companies, they're based off-shore and they might have a different view. 'There may be reasons why they might even want to encourage
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ofcom needs more powers to remove misleading posts, says watchdog
Ofcom needs more powers to remove misleading posts, says watchdog 7 minutes ago Share Save Tom Gerken Technology reporter Share Save Getty Images Media regulator Ofcom needs more powers to remove posts such as those which encouraged the 2024 summer riots, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary says. Sir Andy Cooke said it took too long to remove misinformation on social media, allowing it to spread further and have a greater impact. He said the Online Safety Act - despite being only recently passed - did not give the regulator the tools it needed to contain such content. "Ofcom needs to have the proper capacity and capability to get posts taken down quickly if it's going to be effective," he said. "If you don't get them down quickly, they spread virally." The Online Safety Act currently had "little or no bearing" on scenarios such as last summer's violent disorder, he added. The BBC has contacted Ofcom for comment. It has previously concluded there was a "clear connection" between the disorder in England and posts on social media and messaging apps. At the time of the unrest, Ofcom faced criticism for not doing more to rein in the spread of untrue and inflammatory content. Riot arrests
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police chiefs hit back at watchdog over call for action on social media posts
Police chiefs have hit out at a watchdog report that called on forces to work faster to counter misleading social media posts such as those that fuelled last summer's riots. His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services called on social media companies, Ofcom and the police to take quicker action to tackle false information in times of disorder. Head of the watchdog, Sir Andy Cooke, told journalists that misinformation and disinformation posted on social media helped fuel the disorder across England last summer, and misleading posts were left up too long. He spoke to journalists as the watchdog's second report on the policing response to the riots was published. The report said forces had not heeded recommendations given by the inspectorate in 2011 and 2021 about intelligence relating to disorder, as well as dealing with social media. Force chiefs need to be prepared to counter false information or a lack of information with the truth, Sir Andy said, and should consider how to be more open with journalists from established mainstream media outlets about all major investigations. 'Forces can't control or counter the speed and volume of online content, that goes without saying, but they need to better appreciate how fast-moving events will require them to counter the false narratives online and be innovative in their approach,' he said. 'They need to fill the information void that we saw throughout this disorder that was filled with so much misinformation and disinformation, because that misinformation, disinformation, could go viral very, very quickly. 'So policing cannot be passive when public safety is at risk.' Some forces have an 'exceptionally limited' ability to deal with content online due to a lack of resources, the report said. But the chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Gavin Stephens, said 'a more balanced assessment' is needed. He said: 'While there are lessons to learn, it is crucial to acknowledge that law enforcement does not – and should not – regulate online content. 'Responsibility for ensuring information is accurate and does not fuel harm lies with those posting it, platform providers and regulatory bodies.' The report included a comment from one force head of communications who told inspectors the police service had 'no proper answer' for managing misinformation and disinformation. Mr Stephens continued: 'The report states that policing has 'no proper answer' for tackling misinformation and disinformation, but the issue extends far beyond law enforcement. 'No public sector organisation or body responsible for public safety is fully equipped to address the scale and complexity of the problem.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Tech giants must ‘act quickly' to take down misleading posts, police watchdog says
Social media giants must show responsibility and take swifter action to remove misleading posts, a police watchdog has said. His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, said misinformation and disinformation spread on social media, and left up for too long, helped fuel the disorder seen across England last summer. He said that while dramatic events naturally fuel greater use of social media sites, tech companies bear a responsibility to prioritise public safety. 'It is great for them, but they've got to have social responsibility as well,' he said. 'These companies have got to have responsibility, irrespective of whether they are led from China, led from America.' He called for regulator Ofcom to get beefed-up powers to take posts down more quickly, and said the Online Safety Act has 'little or no bearing on the real-time effects of online content during instances of rapidly evolving widespread disorder'. ' Ofcom needs to have the proper capacity and capability to (get posts taken down) quickly if it's going to be effective,' Sir Andy said. 'And in a national disorder issue like you saw, the speed of some of these posts that are going up makes it really difficult to get them down quickly. 'If you don't get them down quickly, they spread virally.' Laws around what is classed as inciting public disorder should also be tightened up so that there are tougher consequences for those who knowingly post false information online, he said. He spoke to journalists as the watchdog's second report on the policing response to last summer's riots was published. The report found that forces had not heeded recommendations given by the inspectorate in 2011 and 2021 about intelligence relating to disorder, as well as dealing with social media. Force chiefs need to be prepared to counter false information or a lack of information with the truth, Sir Andy said, and should consider how to be more open with journalists from established mainstream media outlets about all major investigations. 'Forces can't control or counter the speed and volume of online content, that goes without saying, but they need to better appreciate how fast-moving events will require them to counter the false narratives online and be innovative in their approach. 'They need to fill the information void that we saw throughout this disorder that was filled with so much misinformation and disinformation, because that misinformation, disinformation, could go viral very, very quickly. 'So policing cannot be passive when public safety is at risk.' Some forces have an 'exceptionally limited' ability to deal with content online due to a lack of resources, the report said. The disorder was predictable, despite national assessments that said the risk of unrest was low. 'National police intelligence assessments didn't correctly assess the risk and threat to public safety from a rising tide of disorder,' the report found. 'Grading the threat and risk of disorder as 'low' was wrong and influenced the timeliness of national mobilisation decisions.' It said the lack of a police intelligence network dealing specifically with disorder is a problem, and called for a return to neighbourhood policing so that officers are more aware of tensions that may be simmering in their area.
