London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has announced a £7m global campaign aimed at countering what he describes as a surge of online “lies and hatred” targeting the capital, as concerns grow over the impact of disinformation on tourism and the city’s reputation.
The City Hall-funded initiative, set to launch in September, will target audiences across Europe, the United States and Asia. It will focus on promoting London’s cultural heritage, creative industries, and status as a global hub for innovation and trade.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has announced a £7m global campaign aimed at countering misinformation about London
The move follows a Greater London Authority (GLA) report that revealed a sharp rise in misleading online content about the city.
According to the findings, social media posts portraying London as dangerous or in decline have increased by nearly 200% over the past two years.
Migration-related narratives referencing the capital have surged even further, rising by more than 350%.
Sir Sadiq described the trend as a coordinated and profitable effort to damage London’s global standing. He said disinformation had become “a truly global scourge”, driven by content designed to exploit fear and generate engagement.
Social media posts portraying London as dangerous or in decline have increased by nearly 200%
“We are facing a relentless and unprecedented attack of lies and hatred from those wanting to damage our capital’s standing and our hugely important tourism industry,” he said. “That’s why we must fight back on a global scale.”
Recent examples highlight the scale of the issue. Earlier this year, AI-generated videos falsely depicting a so-called “taxpayer-funded water park” in Croydon went viral on platforms like TikTok, contributing to a broader narrative of urban decline.
Other misleading content has exaggerated events, including inflated crowd estimates at political rallies using manipulated imagery.
The GLA report also found that disinformation campaigns are increasingly targeted at international audiences.
In some instances, thousands of posts in languages such as Japanese have depicted London as lawless or under extreme political and religious control.
Despite the backlash, City Hall maintains that protecting London’s global reputation is critical, particularly as the city continues to rely heavily on international tourism and investment.
