The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, continues to call for greater intervention and regulation of social media platforms that highlight rising crime in the capital.
Khan has claimed that London has been subjected to a โrelentless and unprecedented attack of lies and hatredโ on social media. He now argues that online โmisinformationโ is deterring tourists from visiting the city.
Yet Home Office data show that there were nearly 100,000 thefts or attempted thefts in London last year, compared with around 45,000 in 2019.
Rather than trying to shut down criticism and debate, or blaming social media for Londonโs problems, the Mayor should focus on tackling rising crime and making the case for his own policies.
More open discussion is not the problem. It is part of the solution.