Tech firms in UK must have plan for illegal content spikes during crises like Southport, regulator says

LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - Tech firms in Britain will need to have plans to respond to surges in illegal content during crises such as the 2024 Southport riots which threaten public safety under strengthened rules set out by the regulator on Tuesday.

Nationwide violence broke out two years ago following a knife attack in the northern England city of Southport, which left three young girls dead at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Authorities said inflammatory and misleading content circulating widely online had fuelled that unrest.

Under the new measures announced by regulator Ofcom, social media and other online platforms would be expected to put in place crisis-response protocols to handle sharp increases in illegal content.

"Given the speed at which online harms can escalate during a crisis, and the serious risks this can pose to public safety, we have decided to accelerate our work on these crisis response measures to ensure that services can begin to take appropriate steps," it said in its protocol published online.

The watchdog said companies should be ready to deploy temporary response teams, boost moderation resources and carry out post-crisis reviews. Larger platforms would also be expected to set up dedicated communication channels for law enforcement during a crisis.

The Online Safety Act, one of the world's strictest online regimes, ties such illegal content to around 140 offences which relate to terrorism, hate, harassment and threats, rather than a broader category of unlawful material.

Companies are responsible for deciding how to act on such risks, based on the regulator's guidance.

(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti. Editing by Sarah Young)