Prevent RNLI doxxing, social media sites told

Social media platforms have been told they must do more to protect people from doxxing and online abuse after personal details of RNLI volunteers were shared online.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy chaired a meeting to challenge firms, including Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube owner Google, after lifeboat crews were targeted during anti-migrant protests.

Nandy also wants tech companies to tackle videos that glorify dangerous driving, saying she wants the UK to have the "gold standard" of online spaces.

Meta said it removed content that shared or solicited personal information and prohibited the promotion of high-risk challenges. TikTok, Snap and Google have also been contacted for a comment.

Doxxing is the act of publicly sharing someone's personal information, usually to harass, humiliate or threaten them.

RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews became the target of hostility during recent protests in Dover and Portsmouth and some had their names and photographs shared online.

Nandy said: "I'm appalled, not just by the treatment of charity volunteers who are trying to save lives, but also the treatment of police officers who are being doxxed online, having their names, photos published, there are journalists who had their addresses published - and this has to stop."

Speaking to Times Radio, she said: "I have made a commitment to the RNLI and to, not just charities but public sector workers, police officers and others who are being routinely harassed and abused online in the course of work, that we will tighten up the law.

"All of the different social media companies have completely different terms of service, different standards that they apply to online hatred directed at individuals.

"Some of them will automatically remove that content. Some of them, frankly, won't."

Nandy added that X "didn't even bother to turn up" which she said was "an absolute disgrace".

X has been contacted for a comment.

Nandy told platforms they needed to be quicker, more proactive and more rigorous in removing harmful content.

She said the government "is not neutral on this" and warned she was willing to consider legislation.

Nandy has also written to all RNLI volunteers to condemn the online abuse and reaffirm the government's backing for law enforcement where the content is illegal.

Meta said: "We remove content that shares, offers or solicits personally identifiable information or other private information that could lead to physical harm.

"We prohibit people from promoting, advocating for or encouraging participation in high-risk viral challenges, including the trend of dangerous driving against oncoming traffic.

"We take down this kind of content once we become aware of it."

On 6 September, anti-migrant protesters blocked roads in Portsmouth in an attempt to stop 120 people who arrived at the Eastney Landing ferry port area with the RNLI's assistance.

Footage was subsequently posted on social media showing volunteers of the Poole-based charity labelled as "traitors".

RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes said: "Recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about the RNLI.

"Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse.

"The RNLI's people represent the very best in our society, they selflessly give up their time to keep others safe."