Harmful forms of social media content, including trolling, harassment and malicious messages, are commonly experienced by survivors of terror attacks, a new report shows.
Dr Bethan Davies and Professor Martin Innes, from Cardiff University's Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute worked on the analysis with Brendan Cox, founder of Survivors Against Terror (SAT) and Claudia Vince - one of the survivors of the Fishmongers Hall attack, which took place on 29 November, six years ago this week.
The survey, which was supported by Kantar, shows more than two thirds (67%) of survivors saw social media content about the attack they were involved in; of those, 97% found it harmful or troubling.
Content they were exposed to included images and videos of the attack – sometimes posted by the attackers themselves – as well as information about the attacker, personal contact requests and direct messages. Survivors were often exposed to such content – either on social media or traditional news media – within hours of attacks taking place.
Other findings show:
- Nearly half of those who took part in the survey (45%) had personal photos and videos taken from social media pages, and 35% found their personal stories used as part of conspiracies. A further 25% of respondents had their personal photos manipulated on social media.
- Over half (52%) of survivors saw their family and/or friends contacted or targeted on social media following attacks, and 41% saw other survivors being targeted.
- One in six (17%) said they had been maliciously sent images of deceased loved ones, messages containing hate speech, accusations of being 'crisis actors' involved in conspiracies, and death threats.
- Over three quarters (81%) of respondents described the harmful effects of social media and media coverage as lasting for years; for some, the effects were ongoing at the time they participated in this project.
Publishing the report, co-author Dr Bethan Davies of Cardiff University's Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute, said: "This research has found that, at a time of shock, distress and grief, social media presents a profound challenge for most survivors of terror attacks. Not only does it mean survivors may be unexpectedly exposed to content about the attack, with images and videos posted online reminding them of their traumatic experiences and loss, but social media can lead to various forms of intrusion and abuse."
The re-traumatisation and re-victimisation of survivors at such a vulnerable time causes a 'double damage' that is highly concerning.
Claudia Vince, survivor of the Fishmongers Hall attack said: "These harms can be stopped – and we all have a part to play. Ministers should amend the Online Safety Act to ensure minimum standards at social media companies. Ofcom - who seem asleep at the wheel - has to use its powers to enforce the rules. Social media companies who are profiting from the abuse on their platform need to fundamentally change their approach and provide the protections they often already promise in their own terms and conditions. Finally all of us need to ensure we are part of the solution, not part of the problem – that means no sharing of harmful content, no engaging with toxic influencers, and sticking to official web pages for helpful advice when needed."
Brendan Cox, co-author and founder of SAT said: "What we let social media companies get away with is outrageous. They promote hate speech and extremism through their algorithm, enable the radicalisation of people on their platforms, propagate the imagery and violence once terror attacks happen - and then allow the ongoing abuse of victims. No other industry would be allowed to operate like this. It's time the Government stepped up to its primary duty to keep people safe."
In conclusion, the report recommends:
- The government should amend the Online Safety Act to address the standards of social media platforms' Terms of Service. Specifically, the report recommends the introduction of minimum standards for Terms of Service, as well as a "no rolling back" requirement;
- Ofcom needs to act much more robustly to enforce all aspects of the Online Safety Act, including on illegal content and protection of children codes. Ofcom must also enforce social media platforms' duties to adhere to their own Terms of Service, when this comes into force.
- Social media companies must enforce their own rules - taking clear responsibility for the harmful content being posted and shared on their platforms. Footage of terror attacks that has been produced by attackers/terrorist groups must be swiftly identified and removed, while platforms should combat the virality of dangerous material by reducing the algorithmic amplification of harmful and incendiary content.
- The public should report harmful content, refuse to engage with toxic influencers, remember the impact their posts can have on survivors – and use official government, police and other official pages to get useful updates in the immediate aftermath of attacks.
The full report, Communications, Intrusions and Accusations: Terror Survivors' Experiences on Social Media, can be viewed here.
