Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted
Online Safety Act measures are insufficient to address algorithmic misinformation spread effectively.
Conclusion
It is vital that platforms are held responsible for the algorithmic spread of misleading or deceptive content that can radicalise and harm users. The few measures in the Act that address misinformation fall short. The False Communications offence is vaguely worded and will be difficult to implement; the advisory committee on mis/disinformation has been renamed, suggesting a change of emphasis; and the media literacy strategy does not set ambitious goals. (Conclusion, Paragraph 46)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges the importance of countering misinformation, but defends the Online Safety Act's proportionate approach which targets illegal content and content harmful to children. It emphasizes that Category 1 services are accountable for their terms of service, references its media literacy strategy, and notes platforms' existing fact-checking and algorithmic deprioritisation efforts.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The government is committed to a safer online world and we urge providers to counter the spread of mis- and disinformation on their services. The government recognises that online misinformation has the potential to cause real-world impacts and undermine public trust in the information environment. However, tackling this issue is extremely complicated. We need to be honest that you cannot eliminate all harmful content online and a balance must be found with freedom of expression – a critical fundamental right. We recognise that mis- and disinformation is a broad, and cross-cutting issue, and we therefore think the most appropriate response is to directly address the most prevalent and concerning harms associated with it. The OSA takes a proportionate approach by focusing on the worst kinds of mis- and disinformation – that which is illegal or harmful to children. This means companies are required to tackle illegal disinformation content on their services and protect children from certain harmful mis- and disinformation. The OSA will also hold Category 1 services to account over the enforcement of their terms of service, including terms related to mis- and disinformation. The OSA requires services to undertake risk assessments for illegal content, which includes illegal mis- and disinformation. These risk assessments include assessing the risks posed by algorithms. Services then need to take effective steps to mitigate identified risks. For example, Ofcom’s codes of practice include measures for certain providers which run tests on their algorithms, according to which they must produce and analyse safety metrics about the risks of serving illegal content. It is also important to note that improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation, fosters critical thinking and promotes respectful online behaviour. The OSA updated Ofcom’s media literacy duties: requiring Ofcom to raise awareness of the nature and impact of mis- and disinformation, enhance public understanding of how to stay safe online and help the public understand the impact of harmful content and online behaviour. We welcomed Ofcom’s first three-year media literacy strategy, ‘A Positive Vision for Media Literacy’, published in October 2024. The strategy sees teacher training as key to improving media literacy and aims to support ongoing professional development to equip educators with the right knowledge and tools to foster media literacy in schools.
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