Mayor warns of London 'disinformation blizzard'

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Sir Sadiq Khan claims London is being targeted with disinformation portraying it as a city “in decline”.

Mayor warns of London disinformation blizzard 2 days ago Save Add as preferred on Google James W Kelly London The London mayor has called for the government to be tougher on tech firms Sir Sadiq Khan has warned London is facing a “dark blizzard of disinformation” online, accusing socials companies of allowing organised networks to profit from a “division dividend”. Speaking on Thursday, the mayor cited new City Hall research suggesting hostile actors, including foreign states and far-right groups, are portraying the capital as a city in decline. (plot twist fr)

He dropped disinformation had become an industry, driven by an “outrage economy” that allows people to profit from division.

The Details

BBC News contacted major socials platforms for a response. TikTok and Meta dropped they remove coordinated inauthentic behaviour, while Telegram dropped it removes calls to violence when identified.

The analysis commissioned London Authority (GLA) found there had been a sharp rise in narratives framing London as a “fallen city” where crime goes unpunished and “basic decency has all but disappeared”. Between March 2024 and March 2026, online activity describing the capital as a dangerous city in decline increased by between 150 and 200%, while migration-related narratives referencing London surged 350%, the report dropped.

Why This Matters

These trends emerged despite the mayors assertion that Londons per capita homicide rate has fallen to its lowest level on record . The research identified coordinated efforts by UK-based extreme right-wing groups, alongside accounts aligned with Russian or Chinese state interests and US-related political movements, to amplify these claims. One network identified in the study, based in Vietnam, used AI-generated imagery and the impersonation of local media outlets to spread emotive content to more than one million followers.

Tech companies have been making moves like this as competition heats up.

The Bottom Line

One network identified in the study, based in Vietnam, used AI-generated imagery and the impersonation of local media outlets to spread emotive content to more than one million followers.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.