Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for England and Wales, has warned that police are closely monitoring social media to track down individuals posting or retweeting racially offensive content. Under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Parkinson highlighted that specialized police units are dedicated to identifying and arresting those who incite racial hatred online, even if they simply share content created by others.
“The offense of incitement to racial hatred involves publishing or distributing material which is insulting or abusive, which is intended to or likely to stir up racial hatred,” Parkinson stated. He cautioned that retweeting such material is considered republishing, which could make users subject to legal action.
Parkinson also made it clear that this crackdown extends beyond the UK’s borders. “We have liaison prosecutors around the globe, who’ve got local links with the local judiciary… We would certainly consider extradition if we are satisfied that an offense has been committed,” he said, emphasizing that foreign nationals could also face prosecution.
The warning follows a series of protests across Britain, triggered by a mass stabbing carried out by a teenager of migration background. The protests have often turned violent, with the police taking a tough stance against demonstrators while handling Muslim counter-demonstrators with more caution.
The DPP’s statements highlight the British government’s commitment to curbing online hate speech and the serious consequences for social media users who engage in racially offensive behavior.
