Fake news a democratic crisis for UK, MPs warn

Fake news a democratic crisis for UK, MPs warn

The UK has to face "democratic crisis", in which voters are targeted with "harmful thoughts" and data tampering, a parliamentary committee is ready to give a warning.


The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee is investigating the dissolution and counterfeit news after the Cambridge Analytical Data Scam.

In its first report, MPs would suggest that social media companies face tough regulation or a new tax.

This election also proposes measures to tackle interference.

The report of MPs affects the people after the investigation of the effects of technical giants and the rise in counterfeit reports on social media.

It was also investigated whether Russia had a role in influencing voters in the European Union referendum.

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The report of the committee was due to be officially published on Sunday.

But Dominic Cummings, director of the official Brextil Campaign Group Vote Holiday, leaked a copy on Friday, which published it on its blog.

Mr. Cummings was asked to answer the allegations made against the vote less campaign and was officially called to participate in the investigation - but he refused. Mr. Cummings called the "fake news" report.

According to the leaked report, MPs say, "Our democracy is at risk and now is the time to act".

The committee "highlighted the continuous targeting of over-partial ideas while playing for the fears and prejudices of the people, to influence voting schemes".
The report is expected to be very critical of Facebook, which increased investigations after the Cambridge Analytical Data Scam.

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"Facebook has interrupted our efforts to get information about our company during this investigation. It seems that if it does not share information about the problem, the problem will be solved, and when it is pressed Then responds, "This will say.

"It provides the witnesses who are reluctant or unable to answer the questions of the committee."


It will repeat its call to Facebook Chief Mark Zuckerberg to give evidence.

It will also be said in the committee's report that it had received "disturbing evidence" - some of which had not been published - from 2010, hacking, dissolution and voter repression in elections.

"We urge the government to ensure that the National Crime Agency will investigate these allegations altogether."


What will be the recommendation of the committee?
Social media sites should be held responsible for 'harmful' content on their services

Companies like Facebook and YouTube have repeatedly said that they are "platform" rather than "publisher". They have argued that they are not responsible for the content posted on their services.

The report of the committee is expected to say that social media companies can not hide behind this claim.

Some "tech company's new category" should be created between the platform or the publisher, the committee will suggest. It should "establish a clear legal liability for technical companies to work against harmful and illegal material on their platforms".

The rules on political campaigns should be made suitable for the digital era

The committee says that electoral law should be updated to reflect changes in "promotional techniques".
This will suggest:

Create a public register for political advertising so that anyone can see which messages are being delivered
Online political advertisements should have a digital impression that is necessary with printed pamphlets and advertisements, which was responsible
Social media sites should be attributed to malicious actors to interfere in elections
Electoral fraud fines should be increased to a maximum of £ 20,000 in the annual turnover of organizations
Social network security should be audited

The report shows that an independent body such as competing and market authorities should audit the social network.

It would say that the security mechanism and algorithms used by the social network should be available for audit by the government regulator to ensure that they are "operating responsibly"

The committee will also warn that fake accounts on sites like Facebook and Twitter not only "damage the user experience, but also potentially deceive advertisers" who can pay for advertising on accounts operated by real people
Taxation should be imposed for technical companies for financing and regulation

Strict regulation of social media sites means more work for organizations like Election Commission and Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO).

The committee will suggest tax on the technical companies. Some money should be funded by the regulators' additional responsibilities.

The rest should be spent on digital education in schools and public awareness campaigns to help people identify disintegration and counterfeit news.

The report says, "The fourth pillar of digital literacy education should be with reading, writing and mathematics."

In the report, a summary of the evidence collected during the inquiry of the committee will also be given, which was launched in September last year.

Whistleblower Christopher Wiley and Cambridge Analyktia's chief executive Alexander Nix were among 61 witnesses, who gave evidence. Tom Baldwin, who wrote a book on the relationship between politics and the media, told today's program on BBC Radio 4 that the recommendations of the report are quite far away Not gone.

Baldwin said, "Social media ads used by Donald Trump and the abandoned campaign are the most deadly political weapons of the day."

Moy, chief of the Fact Investigation Charity Full Fact, told the BBC that there is only one talk of fake news around the world - and the reaction of some governments has been "quite scary".

He said that MPs should admit that it is also important to be proud of being an open society and to evaluate free speech.

The rules of political advertising have become obsolete because they do not work online, and the transparency of where the ads come from, should be available immediately.

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Meanwhile, think tank Demos chief Jamie Bartlett said that the report is about "long-term integrity of elections", so people "believe they are getting accurate information".

He said that he feared that the braxit debate could focus on this issue.

"Those who are Braxtil supporters, will dismiss many, who are anti-braxt, they will say, this is the reason why we should have another referendum, and then we recall that it is essentially more important: Long-term health democracy. "

The final report of the committee is expected before the end of the year.


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