LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The British government is

considering changes to the Online Safety Act designed to

regulate social media companies, following a week of racist

rioting driven by false information online.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The act, passed in October but not set to be enforced until

early next year, allows the government to fine social media

companies up to 10% of global turnover if they are found in

breach.

At present, companies would only face a fine if they fail to

police illegal content, such as incitments to violence or hate

speech. Proposed changes could see Ofcom sanction companies if

they allow "legal but harmful" content such as misinformation to

flourish.

Britain's recently-elected Labour government inherited the

legislation from the Conservatives, who spent many months

tweaking the bill in an attempt to balance the right to free

speech with concerns over online harms.

On Friday, pollster YouGov ( YUGVF ) published a survey of more than

2,000 adults, which found two thirds (66%) believe social media

companies should be held responsible for posts inciting criminal

behaviour.

A further 70% of respondents said social media companies

were not strongly regulated enough, and 71% said they did not do

enough to counter misinformation while the riots were ongoing.

KEY QUOTES

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas Symonds said on Friday

that the government would revisit the law's framework.

"There are obviously aspects of the Online Safety Act that

haven't come into effect yet. We stand ready to make changes if

necessary," he said on Sky News.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, told the Guardian on

Thursday that the Online Safety Act needed to be amended in the

wake of the riots.

"I think what the government should do very quickly is check

if it is fit for purpose. I think it's not fit for purpose," he

told the newspaper.

CONTEXT

Disorder spread across Britain last week, after

widely-shared online posts wrongly identified the suspected

killer of three young girls in a July 29 knife attack as a

Muslim migrant.

As rioters clashed with police in some towns and cities, X

owner Elon Musk also used his platform to share misleading

information with his millions of followers, including one post

suggesting civil war was "inevitable" in Britain.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson said there was

"no justification" for such comments.