The government says social media platforms "clearly need to do far more" after it emerged a list purporting to contain the names and addresses of immigration lawyers was being spread online.
Originally posted on the Telegram messaging app with the message “no more immigration,” it is now being seen on various other platforms.
According to lawyers they have been advised by the police to work remotely, secure their office windows, and install fire-resistant letterboxes.
Expressing his worries, Jim McMahon, the Minister for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, shared his concerns on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
One of the immigration lawyers mentioned in the list that she has been facing repeated threats, and on Monday, she received messages from worried colleagues, clients, and members of the public warning her that she was being targeted.
The Law Society of England and Wales has classified the list as a "highly credible threat" to its members.
“The events of this week serve as a stark reminder that the negative rhetoric against lawyers has tangible consequences for solicitors who work diligently for their clients, access to justice, and the rule of law," stated Nick Emmerson, the president of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Mr. McMahon expressed uncertainty about the nature of the upcoming events, whether they would evolve into protests similar to those in other areas or if the list was created solely to cause alarm or provoke. He emphasized that authorities are fully prepared to respond effectively in terms of policing, prosecution, and the judicial system.
Manchester Today has reached out to Telegram for a statement regarding the dissemination of the list, but has not received a response yet. Telegram previously stated that they are actively monitoring the situation and removing any content inciting violence, as it goes against their terms of service.
Mr. McMahon cautioned that those who step over the line, whether in person or online, can expect to face legal consequences. The Telegram group was established shortly after a tragic incident in Southport, leading to unrest fueled in part by far-right groups and false information online.
Henry Parker from Logically noted that the government is currently unable to utilize the powers in the Online Safety Act to combat misinformation, as the legislation is not yet in effect. He highlighted the challenge of dealing with riots before regulatory measures are in place.
Mr Parker added, that while he was confident the government was taking steps to tackle the problem, multiple teams had a role in fighting misinformation which could lead to a “to-and-fro where people are trying to work out ‘Well what do we do about this?’” slowing down action."
Mr McMahon would not be drawn on whether Telegram could be told to remove channels where the list is being spread, or whether the messaging app could be blocked altogether.
He said it was important that police and prosecutors were able to do their jobs "without any political interference".
Mark Webster, the chief constable of Cleveland Police, told Today people should be "very careful" about "naming individual premises or saying what we’re doing individually in forces".
"You will see an awful lot of resource today and over the following days to make sure we can manage responses to all of the intelligence that comes in," he said.
He urged people to focus on official communications online, and not to "react to things on social media from sources you can’t verify".
Ciaran O’Connor, analyst at online extremism think thinktank, ISD, told the BBC that Telegram had taken "a hands-off approach to tackling disinformation and all shapes of extremism" on its platform.
"We’ve seen lists of refugee accommodation and immigration services addresses being shared, and an invitation to ‘protest’ on Wednesday evening," he said.
"We’ve seen the celebration of violence that has happened so far, and the widespread dissemination of false, misleading and inflammatory claims about Muslims, migrants and the stabbing.
"This captures the essence of the largely unmoderated space on Telegram.” Follow Manchester Today on Facebook, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Newsdesk@ManchesterToday.org.uk
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