London Faces 'Disinformation Blizzard', Warns Mayor Khan
Mayor Warns of Online Disinformation Threat to London
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has issued a stark warning regarding a 'dark blizzard of disinformation' currently assailing the capital online. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Khan highlighted new City Hall research indicating a concerted effort by hostile actors, including foreign states and extreme right-wing groups, to depict London as a city in severe decline.
According to the Greater London Authority (GLA) commissioned analysis, online narratives framing London as a 'fallen city' where crime is rampant and 'basic decency has all but disappeared' have surged significantly. Between March 2024 and March 2026, activity describing London as dangerous increased by 150-200%, with migration-related narratives seeing a rise of over 350%.
Mr Khan asserted that disinformation has become a lucrative industry, fuelled by an 'outrage economy' that capitalises on division. He cited instances of coordinated campaigns, including one Vietnamese-based network using AI-generated imagery and impersonated local media, reaching over a million followers. Encrypted messaging apps like Telegram were also identified as key conduits for the spread of these falsehoods.
The Mayor emphasised the tangible dangers of these digital campaigns, pointing to an incident where an individual, influenced by online conspiracy theories, used explosives against a ULEZ camera. He warned that 'as extremists erode trust in our city and its institutions, it gets easier and easier for them to twist online anger into offline violence'.
In response to these findings, Mr Khan has written to major social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta, Google, and X, demanding greater transparency and an end to 'opaque algorithms designed to maximise engagement at any cost'. He called for these companies to grant 'vetted independent researchers' access to their data to facilitate better monitoring of coordinated disinformation.
TikTok and Meta stated they remove coordinated inauthentic behaviour, with Telegram adding it removes calls to violence. However, Mr Khan urged the government to adopt a 'much tougher approach', advocating for a new central body to protect democracy and empowering regulators like Ofcom to impose significant penalties on non-compliant platforms. While stressing he does not seek to stifle legitimate criticism, he argued that the 'outrage economy is eating away at the basic bonds of trust that hold our societies together'.
