Technology Minister warns Twitter against failure to comply with online safety legislation after research shows antisemitism has doubled on platform

The Technology Minister has warned the social media company Twitter to comply with online safety legislation that is currently making its way through Parliament.

The warning from Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, comes after research has shown that antisemitic vitriol on Twitter has doubled in the past year since Elon Musk’s offer to purchase the company was accepted.

According to research from King’s College London, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and CASM Technology, there has been a 105 percent increase of antisemitic tweets on the platform between April 2022 and February 2023.

Another study, carried out by the Combat Antisemitism Movement in conjunction with the Network Contagion Research Institute, found that monthly references to the controversial financier and activist George Soros and to “globalists”, which are both tropes usually associated with the far-right, have nearly doubled.

Ms Donelan issued the warning at a technology summit, saying: “No matter the leadership or what have you, the ramifications of not complying with the law will still be so stringent and hit them where it hurts.”

The Online Safety Bill is currently in the House of Lords and expected to receive royal assent over the summer. Campaign Against Antisemitism has provided input to the drafting of the legislation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism continues its robust engagement with social media companies over the content that they enable to be published, and we continue to make representations to the Government in this connection.