White supremacist groups have seized on riots in the United Kingdom as a recruiting opportunity, using the Telegram messaging app to promote conspiracy theories and incite violence in their bid to lure new members.
Hard-line organizations previously designated by the U.K. as domestic terrorists are calling for an overthrow of the British government with posts that say "the revolution has started.” Some extremist Telegram users have openly discussed how to capitalize on anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.K. to steer Britons to radicalized communities, according to findings from Logically, a U.K.-based firm that tracks online disinformation.
British authorities are trying to stamp out disturbances fueled by online instigators following the July 29 murder of three schoolgirls in the U.K. town of Southport. Internet trolls falsely asserted the suspected killer was a foreign asylum-seeker, prompting officials to disclose that the suspect is a teenager born in Cardiff, Wales. A large police presence on British streets and involvement from thousands of anti-racist protesters have helped curb violent demonstrations.