If you’re not seeing a video of a phone thief on TikTok, your uncle Richard from Berkshire is
wondering how you sleep at night with all those knife-wielding drug gangs.
The racially tinged, anti-London rhetoric is everywhere at the moment.
And funnily enough, it’s not coming from Londoners.
JD Vance, who lives almost 4,000 miles away (and who once moaned that his country was being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies”) said, "London doesn't feel fully English to me anymore".
Kent-dweller Nigel Farage, meanwhile, despaired over the “broken and lawless” city.
But it’s not just two old men driving the London hate brigade.
It’s also a shit ton of AI slop generated by extreme right-wing groups, as well as accounts connected to Russian or Chinese state interests and U.S.-aligned political movements.*
*According to analysis of two year’s worth of social media posts about London by City Hall
AI propaganda biting us in the ass…AGAIN
These groups are reportedly using AI, online bots, and content farms in Nigeria and Sri Lanka to drive anti-London narratives.
Research by City Hall found that:
- London-related content has risen by about seven per cent since March 2024.
- “London in decline” narratives increased by 150 to 200 per cent over the same period.
- Migration-related content referencing London increased by more than 350 per cent.
- Extreme right-wing networks were responsible for 39 per cent of content driving stories about knife crime in London.
- One network linked to Vietnam (with over 1 million followers) is using AI imagery to share disinformation about London by impersonating local news outlets.
“The accessibility of AI tools means absolutely anyone can create sophisticated disinformation. And social media means they can spread it far and wide, making massive profits in the process.” - Sadiq Khan
It’s true, we all know someone (or someone who knows someone) who's had their phone swiped.
We get it, it’s fucking annoying.
But don’t forget that while petty crime is still prevalent in London, the capital’s per capita homicide rate is the lowest in its recorded history and lower than major cities in Europe and - you guessed it - the U.S.
Outside the obvious reputational damage, there’s real harm that can come from these London-bashing posts.
Sadiq warned that as extremists erode trust in the city, it becomes easier for them to “twist online anger into offline violence”.
We’ve already seen this happen with suburban retiree Kevin Rees, who blew up a ULEZ camera with a homemade bomb after getting caught up in radical groups online.
It’s not all doom and gloom. Wade through the AI and you’ll find some cutesy people online bigging up the capital.
Known as Londomaxxers, they’re spreading the word that yes, while London is busy, and the tube can be hella depressing, the city can be pretty fucking great too.
Warm tinnies in the park! Pub gardens! Thai food! Indian food! All the food!
Also, the National Portrait Gallery is banging. (Move over, Time Out)
We’re not saying London is perfect - far from it. Nor are we saying we should silence discussion around real problems affecting its residents.
But what we are saying, is next time you see - yet - another video circulating online of a person of colour nicking a phone, remember where it (likely) originated from and who is profiting from it.