The Guardian view on Henry Nowak’s murder: big tech and the far right are allied in an outrage arms race The stabbing death of Henry Nowak, and the subsequent police handling, has caused widespread distress and outrage. However, this trauma is being amplified and weaponized online by figures like Nigel Farage and Elon Musk, spreading myths and increasing racial and religious antagonism. The article argues that big tech companies, driven by engagement-maximizing algorithms, are inadvertently aligning with the far-right’s political playbook, promoting grievance and instability, and effective regulation of social media is imperative.

• Henry Nowak, a stabbed teenager, died after begging officers for help while handcuffed, as captured on police body-cam footage.
• Outrage over Nowak’s death is being weaponized by “unscrupulous” actors to spread myths about “two-tier policing” and mobilize politically along racial and religious lines.
• Figures like Nigel Farage and Elon Musk have used the incident to inflame emotions and promote conspiracist rhetoric, including claims of “ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing”.
• The economic incentives of big tech companies, focused on maximizing user engagement, have led them to promote grievance and tribalism, aligning with the political strategies of the far-right.
• The article calls for effective regulation of social media, highlighting the EU’s Digital Services Act as a step towards addressing systemic risks like disinformation and algorithmic recommendations.