Sadiq Khan hits back at online misinformation attacking London
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has defended London against the tide of social media bots and organised disinformation attacking London online.
Recent research published by King’s College London found that public perception about the safety of London, its ethnic composition, and its quality of life were significantly worse than reality.
The study found that people in the UK think the city’s Muslim population is double its true size, and a third believed the city had “no-go” areas where Sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter.
Reform UK supporters were the most misinformed about the capital’s crime statistics and its Muslim population, while Green and Labour supporters overestimated the White population in the city.
Khan has responded to this study by calling it an indictment of the disinformation and online hate directed against London online, including from major political figures such as US President Donald Trump.
“This latest research from King’s College is a sad indictment of the volume of misinformation and organised disinformation being peddled against our capital,” Khan said.
“For too long we have seen foreign state actors, politicians, bots and others regularly talking down London, taking advantage of the outrage economy which allows people to profit from the poison, algorithms and rage baiting spread online.”
He noted that violent crime statistics in London are improving, and that Londoners are, on average, less likely to be a victim of violence with injury than across the rest of England and Wales. The truth is that, despite much of what is circulated online, London is one of the safest major cities in the world.
In the past year, the Metropolitan Police have been cracking down on phone snatchers, equipping officers with e-bikes to help them pursue and detain criminals more effectively. This has led to a marked decrease in crime in phone snatching hotspots, discounting claims that theft in the capital is out of control.
“I’m proud that we are the greatest city in the world. As Mayor I will always stand up and defend our liberal, progressive, caring capital in the face of those deliberately driving these misconceptions for their own gain.”
