A campaign has been launched to help people use social media safely in the wake of widespread disinformation, misinformation and violent content online.
Staffordshire Police has joined the nationwide “Let’s Guide, Not Guard Our Online Spaces” campaign, alongside other forces, to help identify people who may be becoming fascinated by violence.
The initiative follows the stabbings in Southport last year, in which three young girls were killed.
False rumours online that the killer, Axel Rudakubana, was a Muslim asylum seeker led to widespread riots across the county in the aftermath of the attack.
Announcing its involvement in the campaign, Staffordshire Police said: “We are increasingly living our lives online and the internet helps us stay in touch with friends, shop, play games and keep up to date with the latest news — but it can also be a place to read false information and view content that can fuel acts of extreme violence and terror.
“That’s why we’re launching our campaign — to help give people the right tools to stay safe online, challenge disinformation and spot the signs that someone might be fascinated with violence.”
The “Chronicle” reported last week on two separate incidents in which police had to issue statements about misinformation following apparent incidents.
Police in Stoke warned people not to believe social media reports after “growing misinformation” circulated online about an alleged kidnap.
It followed a report that a man had attempted to kidnap a child outside Heron Foods on Ford Green Road. A child and a man were spoken to at the location to establish what had happened. Police confirmed that no offences had been committed.
Afterwards, police said in a statement that a number of posts had appeared on social media suggesting the man had tried to grab the child.
False
Police said: “These are false and we can confirm that absolutely no evidence was found to suggest the man committed any offence.
“Further posts have been made to try and find out the man’s identity, along with threats of violence and harm.”
The warning followed a similar incident in Congleton involving an Audi, which sparked social media rumours of an attempted kidnapping. Police said that no offence had been committed and that a 17-year-old boy who had been in the car had been “spoken to”.
In Cheshire, police said there was no evidence to support Facebook posts claiming that migrants had attempted to catch a swan to eat.
An image shared on social media claimed to show two men — one holding a swan — with the caption: “Winsford Marina in Cheshire. They are eating the swans.” The men appeared to have been trying to take a picture with the swan.
Fact-checking service Full Fact said the image first appeared in November 2024 but had recently recirculated on Facebook following false claims made by politician Nigel Farage.
Cheshire Police confirmed to Full Fact that it had received reports of “a male handling a swan”, but said that while the individual had not been identified, there was no evidence to support claims that the swan was being captured for food.
While Staffordshire Police acknowledged that social media gave everyone a voice — which could be a positive force for discussion, diverse viewpoints and debate — it also warned that platforms could be filled with false information designed to manipulate people’s thoughts and emotions.
“This information, particularly when paired with uncensored content depicting extreme violence, has the potential to influence people’s thinking and motives exponentially — which poses big risks to everyone,” the force said.
Earlier this month, the force secured a prison sentence against a man who had been found printing 3D guns and ammunition at home. The court heard he had spent long periods alone on social media and had become fascinated by the Nazis and Adolf Hitler.
A force spokesperson added: “We’re determined to raise awareness of the issue and ensure we do everything possible to equip people with the tools needed to spot this type of disinformation or misinformation online — and to help others recognise when someone may be influenced by harmful content.”
For more information, visit staffordshire.police.uk and search for “Let’s Guide, Not Guard Our Online Spaces”.
