The UK government has introduced new legislation aimed at tackling the spread of extreme violence online and addressing gaps in existing terrorism laws highlighted by the Southport attack in July 2024. Under the National Security Bill, individuals found sharing footage depicting graphic and extreme acts of violence could face up to five years in prison.

The legislation will criminalize the creation and dissemination of content that glorifies, trivializes, or normalizes severe violence against people and animals. Authorities will be empowered to target those who produce or share such harmful material, with social media companies obliged to remove violent content from their platforms. This enforcement capability will be integrated into the framework of the Online Safety Act, placing the new offence alongside existing offences such as threatening communications and encouraging self-harm.

A significant aspect of the bill is the introduction of a distinct offence for planning mass-casualty attacks that are not motivated by ideological or terrorist aims. This measure seeks to address the limitations exposed by the Southport incident, in which the attacker, Axel Rudakubana, carried out a brutal assault after an extensive period of consuming violent content but was not prosecuted under terrorism laws due to the absence of an ideological motive. The new offence will carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and will allow law enforcement and security services to employ counterterrorism-style powers to intervene earlier in cases involving individuals fixated on extreme violence, even if those cases fall outside the traditional terrorism framework.

The move follows initial calls from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to broaden terrorism laws to capture lone actors driven by violent obsessions rather than ideology. However, Starmer revised his position after a government review led by Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, cautioned that expanding terrorism laws in this manner could distort threat assessments, overburden police resources, and impose undue restrictions on freedom of expression.

The bill aims to close identified legal gaps, providing prosecutors and police with greater tools to prevent violent acts planned by individuals without clear ideological motives. It reflects growing concerns over the influence of online violent content in radicalizing and encouraging such attacks, particularly among young people. The government’s approach emphasizes striking a balance between enhancing public safety and safeguarding civil liberties while compelling technology platforms to play a more proactive role in curbing the spread of extreme violence online.