Fake news is causing a crisis in our democracy, MPs warn

FAKE news is taking over social media sites and causing a ‘crisis’ for democracy, an MPs’ report concludes.

Laws must be imposed to make web giants such as Facebook and Twitter accountable for the harm spread on their platforms, they said. Current regulations are ‘not fit for purpose’, with social media users often blind to whether they are reading fact or fiction.

The digital, culture, media and sport committee’s Disinformation and Fake News report, which was released yesterday, concluded: ‘Our democracy is at risk, and now is the time to act, to protect our shared values and the integrity of our democratic institutions.’

To help the public grapple with the workings of the ‘wild west’ web, social media companies should be subject to a levy – and funds used for education programmes, the committee said.

As a White Paper is prepared on how to bring internet giants to heel, other recommendations include new laws to make tech platforms liable for ‘harmful’ content they host, an agreed code of ethics and amending electoral law around the targeting of voters online.

The report also called for the Information Commissioner’s Office to be given more resources to investigate how our personal data is used – which may require ‘major investment’.

Committee chairman Damian Collins said ‘We are facing nothing less than a crisis in our democracy – based on the systematic manipulation of data to support the relentless targeting of citizens without their consent, by campaigns of disinformation and messages of hate.’

Web companies must now have a ‘light of transparency’ shined on them regarding the scale of the problem, he said.

A Government spokesman said : ‘We note the committee’s report and will consider its final recommendations.’