Government Pressures Social Media Giants To Tackle Misinformation Ahead Of General Election

The government is reconvening social media companies in an attempt to tackle misinformation ahead of the next general election, as the technology minister insists it will only be able possible to do “everything we can” to protect democracy with the cooperation of the biggest online platforms.

Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti told The House that he's finding “every aspect” of his new role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy “fascinating” as he gets to grips with the portfolio. 

“I’m really enjoying it; I’m letting my inner tech geek come out,” he said.

Having been appointed to his first ministerial role in November, Bhatti defined his job as ensuring the United Kingdom’s government has “got it right” in its approach to the country’s critical technologies. And just so he and his staff do not forget them, the five technologies are listed in large writing on a handy whiteboard in Bhatti’s office: artificial intelligence, engineering biology, future telecommunications, semiconductors, and quantum technologies.

Perhaps the most pressing item on the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to-do list though is leading the charge against misinformation and disinformation, as the UK is braced for a general election by the end of this year – and across the world, more people will be casting votes in elections than in any other year in history.

John Penrose, Conservative MP for Weston-super-Mare and the UK’s former anti-corruption champion, recently told PoliticsHome he believes 2024 will be the “acid test” for whether or not democracies can “protect the quality of their political debate and their free speech”.

The challenges are clear; the solutions less so. Bhatti insisted the UK