Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Foreign State Actors: Disinformation

Thursday 5 March 2026 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government have sanctioned 38 organisations for information warfare since 2024
  • UK has sanctioned three foreign information and manipulation targets responsible for disinformation
  • Foreign interference offence is a priority under the Online Safety Act 2023

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Peter Swallow Lab Bracknell
Ukraine Democracy & Elections Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP is concerned about the trend of disinformation by foreign state actors, particularly from Russia, which has been characterized as an immediate and evolving threat to public discourse and democracy.

Question

What assessment has been made of trends in levels of disinformation by foreign state actors, particularly from Russia, which is an immediate and evolving threat characterised by divisive information operations and the manipulation of public discourse?

Answer from Dan Jarvis

The Government have sanctioned 38 organisations for information warfare since 2024, enforced the Online Safety Act 2023, and built media literacy skills for young people to engage with information critically. The UK has sanctioned three foreign information and manipulation targets responsible for destabilising Ukraine and undermining European democracy.

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Q2 Peter Swallow Lab Bracknell
Democracy & Elections
Context

The MP refers to a meeting with Meta's representative who was unable to confirm whether the company is doing enough to prevent foreign actors from using social media to undermine democratic rights and freedoms. He also mentions the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill, which aims to strengthen democracy.

Question

Given that Meta's representative was unable to confirm whether the company is doing enough to prevent foreign actors from using social media to undermine democratic rights and freedoms, and with the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill seeking to strengthen democracy, does my hon. Friend agree that we need to get tougher with social media companies that are not doing enough to address foreign interference on their platforms?

Answer from Dan Jarvis

The hon. Friend agrees that social media platforms have a very important role to play in safeguarding our democracy. The foreign interference offence is a priority offence under the Online Safety Act 2023, which places duties on social media platforms to tackle illegal content and requires proactive action to identify and minimise users' exposure to state-linked interference. The Government will not hesitate to go further to protect citizens and democracy from this threat.

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