But first...
In the face of some distressing violence and scenes of unrest across the country in recent days, we at Full Fact hope that you are all doing as well as you can be, and are safe and supported.
The disorder we’ve seen, triggered at least in part by false claims circulating on social media in the wake of the Southport stabbings last week, is an awful reminder of what can happen when online misinformation spills into the real world.
An incorrect name for the Southport suspect, “Ali Al-Shakati”, spread rapidly online, alongside false claims he had recently come to the UK on a small boat, or was Syrian. As we wrote in our fact check, these claims were quickly rebutted by Merseyside Police. But nevertheless, unrest broke out in Southport, with Merseyside Police reportedly saying people behind the violence had been fired up by social media posts.
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