This Image of U.K. Police Bowing Their Heads Is AI-Generated
The Claim
This image reflects current policing strategy perfectly.
News posted on
Emerging story
Fake news and misinformation have surged during the recent riots in the U.K. On the X platform, users have been spreading a photo that falsely claims to show U.K. police officers prostrating before a Muslim group.
Paul Golding, co-leader of the far-right political party Britain First, shared the photo on the X platform with the comment, "This image reflects current policing strategy perfectly."
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral photo and found the claim to be fake.
After testing the image with an AI image detector, Misbar’s team found that the photo likely contains AI-generated or deepfake content with 99.2% certainty.
U.K. Fake News Fuels Hatred After Southport Stabbing Suspect Misidentified
Fake news spreading on social media has fueled hatred toward Muslims in the United Kingdom. Violent disturbances erupted across England and Northern Ireland following a stabbing incident that left three children dead and several others injured in Southport on July 29.
The suspect was misidentified as a 17-year-old Muslim named 'Ali Al-Shakati,' with unverified reports claiming he arrived in the U.K. by boat as an asylum seeker. However, the real suspect is Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, who was confirmed by Merseyside Police to have been born in Cardiff.
U.K. Protests Target Mosques and Hotels After Southport Violence
Violent protests erupted the day after the Southport violence in London, Hartlepool, and Manchester, targeting mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
From July 29 to August 14, police made a total of 1,024 arrests and identified hundreds more suspects in connection with the disorder. The police and the CPS have brought a total of 575 charges, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington of the NPCC said, "Forces have been united across the country, determined to send a clear message to those involved in the physical destruction of our streets, sustained violence against officers, and the spread of online hate."
Disinformation Fuels Violence in U.K.
Disinformation is a major driver of this appalling violence, and we know that many attending these so-called protests are doing so in direct response to what they’ve read online,” BJ Harrington said.
A video of a British girl being detained went viral on X, leading many to believe that police were detaining an innocent child. However, the video was later proven false. Misbar's team found that it is from July and has nothing to do with the riots currently happening in the U.K.
Another misleading, outdated video allegedly showing Manchester police detaining 22 people in connection with the ongoing rioting was extensively shared on social media. An X user published the video with the caption, “While hordes of Muslims walk around with weapons, the police in Manchester are busy knocking down the doors of British patriots.”
Misbar found that the real video depicts Manchester police conducting raids against drug dealers.
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