House of Commons · Westminster Hall
09 March 2021 · 3 other contributors · 7,433 words
Opened by Owen Thompson SNP Midlothian
Responding minister: Caroline Dinenage
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Owen Thompson raised concerns about cyber-troop activity: uk in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The MP calls for the Government to take action against cyber-troop activities, implement tougher rules in future referenda, improve regulation through the online safety Bill, and collect data on cyber-troop activity to assess the threat properly. He asks that the Government look at electoral reforms urgently.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The MP is concerned about the industrialised disinformation by state and political actors that undermines democracy in the UK. He mentions specific incidents such as micro-targeting to deter voters from participating, foreign interference like Chinese, Russian, and Iranian-backed campaigns, and domestic issues involving bot manipulation and misleading content. The lack of transparency and regulation around online political advertising is also highlighted.
The internet plays an increasingly critical role in daily life, affecting work, social activities, family interaction, news consumption, and political engagement. The use of Facebook for news is rising, with UK adults now largely relying on it as a news source. In 2018, the three largest political parties spent £3.7 million on Facebook advertising, indicating an urgent need for stricter regulation. Concerns about cyber-troop activities include their ability to manipulate public opinion through various strategies and tools. The speaker questioned why the Government had not acted more decisively since reports of organised social media manipulation in 2010, and highlighted the importance of collaboration with allies to combat threats. The hon. Member for Strangford was commended for his work with armed forces but also asked about discussions on cyber-troops between the Minister and Secretary of State for Defence. Additionally, questions were raised regarding online regulation and reforming electoral laws to protect against foreign interference. I asked the Minister about the number of full-time employees in the disinformation unit, noting that previously it was reported to have none. I also inquired about Ofcom's potential role regarding cyber-troops and electoral disinformation.
Jim Shannon echoed concerns about fake news and voter suppression, citing examples from the US, Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. He emphasized the need for a positive government response to combat misinformation while maintaining free speech. Shannon highlighted the potential harm of contextually misleading comments and warned against polarisation due to social media influence. Responded to Chi Onwurah, highlighting the collaboration between police forces across regions as providing additional numerical strength to efforts against disinformation.
Disinformation, especially state-sponsored campaigns, is a growing threat with cyber-troops increasing in sophistication and funding. Stewart calls for briefings on the threat picture and a national strategy to counter disinformation, reaching all parts of the population. He also urges implementation of ISC recommendations from the Russia report.
Government Response
Caroline DinenageIt is a great pleasure to serve under your stewardship, Sir Charles. I join everyone else in thanking the hon. Member for Midlothian (Owen Thompson) for bringing forward this really important topic. The Government established a dedicated counter-disinformation unit that brings together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities, which remains operational and expands during major democratic events like elections. Throughout the pandemic particularly, the unit has worked closely with social media platforms to quickly identify potential harmful content on their platforms and help them respond to it. Major platforms have updated their terms of service and introduced new measures to tackle disinformation and misinformation related to covid-19 by not only banning profit from harmful content but also putting up links to reliable, Government-backed sources of information. The Government welcome this and continue to put pressure on platforms to ensure that their policies and enforcement are fit for purpose while respecting freedom of expression. There is full-time staff dedicated to the unit, which works closely with the 77th Brigade—a military unit dedicated to such activity—and the police. We remain committed to protecting our democratic values and electoral processes by working collaboratively with Government, civil society and private sector organisations to monitor and respond to interference in whatever form it takes. The Government are strengthening their legislative framework through introducing legislation like a digital imprints regime to inform voters about the source of online campaign material and updating online campaigning rules to ensure that the framework is fit for the modern age. They have also launched a counter-disinformation policy forum, bringing together key actors from industry, civil society and academia to improve responses to misinformation and disinformation and prepare for future threats. The Government welcome the valuable analysis and insight from academia and take seriously the findings of other experts in this field. We support freedom of expression as a fundamental right but remain committed to tackling misinformation and disinformation in all their forms. Our challenge is to shape the internet so that it remains open and vibrant while protecting users from all kinds of harm.