To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to require social media platforms to publish audited data on the effectiveness of their anti-disinformation work during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered on
2 June 2020
The Government’s Counter Disinformation Unit stood up on 5 March 2020 and is working around the clock with Whitehall departments, social media platforms, and disinformation specialists in academia and civil society to lead the fight against misinformation and disinformation. Its responsibilities include monitoring and analysis, strategic communications, and CSP engagement to provide the most comprehensive picture possible about the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation linked to COVID-19.
As part of the Government response, the Secretary of State met with social media platforms to discuss improved ways of working, including better information sharing processes.