The British government has announced plans to introduce a new rule requiring social media firms to actively combat disinformation spread by foreign governments such as Russia. Fake accounts set up on behalf of foreign nations on platforms like Meta’s Facebook and Twitter to influence elections or judicial processes will be prosecuted under the law.
The measure is expected to be enacted during this parliamentary session thanks to an amendment linking the National Security Bill with the Online Safety Bill. Nadine Dorries, the Digital Secretary, stated that the regulator Ofcom will develop codes of practice to assist social media businesses in complying with the law. Dorries stated, ‘We cannot allow other powers or their puppets to use the internet to conduct hostile cyber warfare unfettered,’ referring to Russia’s use of social media to propagate disinformation about its activities during its invasion of Ukraine.
‘That is why we are reinforcing our new internet safety safeguards to ensure social media companies identify and eliminate state-backed disinformation,’ she said. As tensions rise over the Kremlin’s onslaught, Russian officials announced Monday that a square outside the British embassy in Moscow will be named after pro-Kremlin separatists in Ukraine.
Since the Kremlin committed soldiers to Ukraine on February 24, London has refused to recognise the self-proclaimed People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine and has strongly supported Kyiv. Following President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of his ‘special military operation’ to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine, a number of Western nations altered the names of streets holding Russian embassies.
Post Your Comments