 "Two men pose with smartphones in front of a screen showing the Telegram logo in this picture illustration. Source: REUTERS.")
The UK is experiencing a moment of intense social upheaval reminiscent of the January 6 events in the US, with far-right protesters creating chaos across the nation in response to the murder of three young girls in Southport last month.
Riots & hate crimes
The violence has manifested as race-based riots, with acts of vandalism targeting people of color, destruction of properties, and fires set at hotels housing asylum seekers. Hundreds of individuals have been arrested in connection with these disturbances.
Telegram’s dark side
While much of the footage from the riots has circulated on X, the platform Telegram has been identified as a key space for organising and inciting these actions.
“Telegram is often used for purposes like these, coordinating hate campaigns,” said Carolina Are, a Center for Digital Citizens innovation fellow at Northumbria University.
“Basically what seems to be happening is that harassment starts on apps like Telegram, and then it bleeds onto other platforms, or in this case, even offline.”
Fast Company has observed Telegram groups with tens of thousands of members sharing information on far-right rallies and providing guides on how to maximise damage through arson. Telegram has not responded to Fast Company’s request for comment.
The appeal of Telegram
Telegram occupies a somewhat fringe position in the social media landscape, making it an attractive venue for extremist activities. It is distant enough from mainstream platforms to allow for the discussion of controversial and hateful topics while gathering like-minded individuals. Founded by Pavel Durov and based in Dubai, Telegram boasts around 700 million active users.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Although Telegram offers a robust privacy-focused messaging tool, it also offers a darker side and is often utilised by cybercriminals,” said Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, a European cybersecurity firm.
Moore described Telegram as “effectively the dark web app of the open web,” highlighting its appeal to those seeking secrecy and anonymity. “Therefore, Telegram could potentially be used by those wanting to inflame the already high tensions and remain anonymous,” he added.
On July 29, the day of the stabbing in Southport, northern England, Telegram saw a significant spike in active users, reaching 3.1 million, up from the average of about 2.7 million since early 2024, according to Similarweb, an online analytics firm. The following day, as a night of violence in Southport—focusing on attacks against a local mosque—left at least 50 police officers injured, Telegram usage surged to 3.7 million. Merseyside Police indicated that some of the violence was linked to the far-right English Defence League, founded by activist Tommy Robinson.
By the weekend, Telegram usage had returned to its average levels, as reported by Similarweb.
The unrest in Southport triggered a wave of violence across the U.K., which authorities, including UK ministers and police, as well as analysts, say was both fueled by and organized through various online platforms, including Telegram, TikTok, and Elon Musk’s X.
UN-backed counterterrorism organisation Tech Against Terrorism issued an “urgent alert” concerning the use of Telegram by far-right extremists to organise riots in the UK. The alert highlighted the growth of a Telegram group with 15,000 members, which has since been removed. This group had circulated a list of protest targets, including sites related to immigration.
“Telegram’s inadequate moderation of extremist channels is contributing to violence and unrest across the UK,” Tech Against Terrorism stated.
Calls for proactive measures
As several UK towns prepared for potential further violence, media watchdog Ofcom called on tech platforms to be “proactive” in removing content that incites racial hatred or promotes violence.
“We welcome the proactive approaches that have been deployed by some services in relation to these acts of violence across the UK,” Ofcom said. “In a few months, new safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in place, but you can act now — there is no need to wait to make your sites and apps safer for users.”
Regulatory reactions
Telegram’s involvement in the UK unrest could have long-term repercussions for the platform. In response to the riots, there have been calls from politicians, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for more stringent social media regulations.
With inputs from agencies