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A man who allegedly spread disinformation online that fuelled the current UK riots has been charged with cyber terrorism.
UK authorities accused Farhan Asif of publishing disinformation on his publication Channel3Now, blaming a Muslim asylum seeker for a deadly knife attack at a kid’s Taylor-Swift-themed dance and yoga class in Southport, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls aged six, seven and nine.
While the claims were false, with the suspect born in Wales, the article was shared widely on social media late last month and was a contributing spark towards the UK riots across England and, subsequently, Northern Ireland.
The riots began on 30 July, targeting mosques and hotels that housed asylum seekers. Other properties and police were also targeted.
Asif was arrested in Lahore, Pakistan, and charged with cyber terrorism for his involvement with the site. Asif denied any involvement with the misinformation, claiming to be a freelancer and saying that several members of staff at Channel3Now had been terminated following the incident.
After being taken into custody, Asif admitted he ran the site alone and that the article was based on information he had seen on social media.
“Farhan Asif admitted to providing misleading information to the BBC regarding his accomplices in an attempt to divert blame to others,” said a police report via the BBC.
A senior official at Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency, who wished to remain anonymous, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that investigations to date suggest that his intentions were purely to make money from clickbait.
“He is a 31-year-old software engineer with no journalism credentials, apart from running the Channel3Now website, which served as a source of income for him,” the official said.
“Initial investigations indicate that his sole intent was to make money through clickbait content.”
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