UK Will Strengthen Internet Law to Fight Russian Disinformation

Britain is proposing a new law that would require social media platforms to actively respond to disinformation disseminated by foreign countries such as Russia, the government said on Monday, July 4th. The government said the law would deal with fake accounts on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which were set up at the aim of influence elections or court proceedings by foreign countries.

The legislator is likely to pass an amendment during this parliamentary session related to the National Security Act and the Online Safety Act, both of them are in the government’s current proceedings.

Communications regulator Ofcom will draft a business guideline to help social media companies abide by the law and become entitled to punishment for infringements. Digital Minister Nadine Dorries said on Monday that the invasion of Ukraine showed how Putin utilized social media platforms to spread lies about their crimes. “We cannot allow foreign states or their puppets to use the internet to conduct hostile online warfare unimpeded. That’s why we are strengthening our new internet safety protections to make sure social media firms identify and root out state-backed disinformation.” Nadine said.