
How Online Disinformation Sparked Far-Right Riots in the UK
On a tense day in August 2024, riot police were deployed to manage protests outside the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Rotherham, UK, where asylum seekers were being housed. This scene was part of a wider wave of unrest, sparked by an incident where false narratives quickly spread online following the tragic deaths of three girls in Southport, UK, in July. Misinformation began circulating soon after the incident, with social media platforms becoming conduits for incorrect details about the perpetrator’s identity and background. An analyst named Hannah Rose of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue highlighted how a fictionalized name and…








