The ruling leftist Labour Party in Britain has suggested that social media sites should face new restrictions during elections, as the government claims it wants to confront the spread of so-called misinformation.
Deputy leader of the Labour Party, Lucy Powell, went on a media blitz on Sunday, advocating for the Representation of the People Bill to further clamp down on social media, particularly around elections.
Powell is a close ally of Britain’s likely next Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Manchester, who recently parachuted into the House of Commons following outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s disastrous performance at May’s local elections.
Speaking to LBC, she said, “Millions of people get their news from social media, yet our laws haven’t kept pace.”
“The biggest influence on what many voters see during election campaigns is not a TV news bulletin, it’s social media feeds decided by opaque algorithms, where falsehoods, deepfakes and co-ordinated mis and disinformation can spread at alarming speed, with real-world consequence,” Powell asserted.
The deputy Labour leader said that while freedom of expression is “fundamental” to British democracy, it is important that the government makes sure that “the public can make informed choices based on accurate information.”
Powell’s proposal would extend some of the restrictions currently on British broadcasters during the immediate run-up to elections, also known as “purdah”. This includes a blanket ban on media reporting on election issues on polling day until after the polls have closed. Broadcasters are also required to give equal time to candidates to ensure an even playing field.
It comes in the wake of UK Culture Secretary announcing last week that she would be quitting Elon Musk’s X social media platform and that the government department she runs would do the same.
Nandy said that X was a “platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate.”
However, now she claims that the social media firm “isn’t healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don’t want to support it.”
Nandy said that she would continue posting on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Meanwhile, the video hosting platform YouTube warned British users over the weekend that their content likely faces the prospect of being suppressed algorithmically under new rules proposed by the left-wing government.
According to reports, the government is looking to require social media firms to prioritise “trusted” news sources like the BBC over independent media, despite longstanding accusations of bias against the UK public broadcaster and significant scandals over the accuracy of its reporting.
“Mandating prominence for established media networks would push the UK’s diverse mix of independent journalists, educators, and digital-first businesses down the line,” YouTube said.