UK proposing new law for social media giants to actively tackle Russian disinformation

The UK government is proposing new changes to a landmark online safety bill which would require social media giants to shield internet users and state-sponsored disinformation that threatens the country’s society and democracy. According to The Guardian, the legislation would call on social media platforms, video streaming services and search engines to tackle state-backed disinformation aimed at the interfering UK. For instance, amid the Russia-Ukraine war, such content would involve Moscow-based hoaxers and cyberattackers. 

Since the beginning of the war in late February, the Western nations including the UK have flagged cyberattacks launched by hackers based in Russia and warned people against the Soviet Republic’s propaganda strategy. Just earlier this year, a video was published of UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace being prank-called by a Russian hoaxer who was pretending to be the Ukrainian Prime Minister. Now, British Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said on Monday that the Ukraine invasion had underscored Russia’s readiness to use social media to spread lies and disinformation, as per the report.

“We cannot allow foreign states or their puppets to use the internet to conduct hostile online warfare unimpeded,” she said. “That’s why we are strengthening our new internet safety protections to make sure social media firms identify and root out state-backed disinformation.”

Amendment to be added to upcoming national security bill

The amendment introducing new checkpoints for tech giants, will be added to the upcoming national security bill that is subjected to parliament’s scrutiny by MP's committee next week. While the online safety bill is expected to pass by the end of this year, in its present form, the law requires tech firms to take action on state-sponsored disinformation that harms individuals – such as threats to kill, stated The Guardian. Notably, the amendment will add a new disinformation offence list of priority offences in the bill and tech firms would be required to take action proactively.

“Disinformation is often seeded by multiple fake personas, with the aim of getting real users, unwittingly, then to ‘share’ it,” said UK Security Minister Damian Hinds, as per the report. He added,  “We need the big online platforms to do more to identify and disrupt this sort of coordinated inauthentic behaviour. That is what this proposed change in the law is about.”

Image: AP/Unsplash