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Disinformation: Middle East

Question for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

UIN HL1952, tabled on 23 October 2024

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to counter misinformation relating to the conflict in the Middle East.

Answered on

6 November 2024

This department takes very seriously the threat which misinformation and disinformation related to the conflict in the Middle East can pose. We have taken a multi-faceted approach and work in lockstep with various organisations, including social media companies and other government departments such as the Foreign Office.

Ministers have been clear that major social media platforms should remove illegal content, including hate speech, along with content which is in breach of their terms of service. The major social media platforms will be bound by these responsibilities when the Online Safety Act comes into force, and ministers have been clear that platforms should not wait for regulation to be in force before taking relevant action.