‘New code’ to crack down on net giants
INTERNET giants should abide by an official code of conduct to stamp out the spread of “disinformation”, senior MPs have said.
They claimed democracy was at risk from the “malicious and relentless” bombardment of “fake news” faced by internet users, including “dark adverts from unidentifiable sources”.
And they called for a compulsory ethics code, enforced by a powerful independent watchdog with the power to launch legal proceedings and slap fines on offending technology firms.
MPs on the Digital Culture, Media and Sport Committee said in a report: “Social media companies cannot hide behind the claim of being merely a platform and maintain that they have no responsibility themselves in regulating the content of their sites.”
Tory MP and committee chairman Damian Collins said: “Democracy is at risk from the malicious and relentless targeting of citizens with disinformation and personalised dark adverts from unidentifiable sources, delivered through the major social media platforms we use every day.
“Much of this is directed from agencies working in including Russia.
“Big tech companies are failing in the duty of care they owe to their users to act against harmful content and to respect their data privacy rights.
“Companies like Facebook exercise massive market power which enables them to make money by bullying the smaller technology companies and developers who rely on this platform to reach their customers.
“These are issues that the major tech companies are well aware of, yet continually fail to address. We need a radical shift in the balance of power foreign countries, between the platforms and the people. The age of inadequate self-regulation must come to an end.
“The rights of the citizen need to be established in statute, by requiring the tech companies to adhere to a code of conduct written into law by Parliament, and overseen by an independent regulator.”
Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright yesterday vowed to look at “all possible options for penalties” in a forthcoming White Paper outlining proposals for curbing wrongdoing on the internet.