Ministers miss chance to stamp on fake news

MPS HAVE branded the Government’s response to a hard-hitting report on how to deal with fake news as a “missed opportunity”.

Chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee Damian Collins expressed disappointment that ministers had not taken a more robust stance on the issue.

The committee’s interim report on disinformation and fake news warned of a “democratic crisis” due to the manipulation of personal data which targeted users with “pernicious views”, particularly during political campaigns.

The report said new laws needed to be introduced to clamp down on the “wild west” social media world. But Mr Collins expressed concern that the Government had only accepted three of the committee’s 42 recommendations in full.

The DCMS chairman said: “The Government’s response to our interim report on disinformation and ‘fake news’ is disappointing and a missed opportunity.

“It uses other ongoing investigations to further delay desperately needed announcements on the ongoing issues of harmful and misleading content being spread through social media.”

The committee expressed concern that ministers did not take up its call for a levy on tech companies to fund education in digital literacy. The Government also rejected the report’s recommendation for the Electoral Commission to change the rules on political spending and limit individual donations.