Digital misinformation has reached a “crisis” point in the UK, charity fact checking organisation Full Fact wrote in its latest report.
Full fact described the current time as one of “global upheaval,” routinely pointing to the Trump administration influence on rewriting the rules of truth and disinformation, impacting the way online giants moderate content.
The charity lamented the lack of progress made in the UK to tackle the rise of digital misinformation, despite the increased powers given to Ofcom through the Online Safety Act.
A major concern the group noted was Meta’s move to remove independent fact checking from its content moderation methods.
The charity urges the UK government not to fall to the pressures from the US regime to lessen its online safety regulations, which should be emboldened by the Online Safety Act.
Still, Ofcom has removed the word ‘misinformation’ from the name of its advisory committee, and the UK’s AI Safety Institute recentered its focus to national security threats rather than misinformation.
In response to these troubling changes, and in the wake of riots last number that was found to have been amplified by digital misinformation, Full Fact is calling on UK authorities to strengthen their commitment to battling disinformation online, and to put action to their words.
Full Fact is urging the UK government to treat misinformation as a legislative priority, when when it does not meet the threshold of illegal content.
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It also urges Meta to not abandon third-party fact checking globally, and that Community Notes models should be collaborating with high-quality, independent fact checkers.
For Ofcom, it says the online regulator should be more proactive, vocal, and engages, and expand its media literacy work to reflect the challenges of today.
“Access to accurate information is not a luxury, it is the foundation of our democracy,” said Chris Morris Full Fact chief executive.
“We cannot let large online platforms which wield so much influence over our daily lives walk away from commitments to make our online world a safer place.
“Government and regulators must hold them to account, to the full extent of the law. This is no time for half measures.”





