"Thornberry said it was time to challenge tech companies over the threats that social media pose to our society. The committee has written to X, Meta and TikTok calling on them to give evidence on the threat posed by foreign disinformation targeting the UK. We must start a proper dialogue with social media companies about the ways their platforms are being used to spread lies from abroad and undermine our democracy. And we need to do it urgently, she said."
"Thornberry accused Reform UK, whose MPs have repeatedly described UK cities as crime-ridden and dangerous, of repeating false claims that are then amplified, while biased algorithms promote strife and far-right messages. Reform politicians were raking in tens of thousands of pounds from X and rewarding sites that sowed anger and spread disinformation, she added. Last week the Reform mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham, said London was no longer safe while the party leader, Nigel Farage, said London was in the grip of a crime wave,"
Online disinformation campaigns from state and non-state actors target the UK, employing tactics such as Iranian bot farms promoting Scottish nationalism and biased algorithms depicting London as overwhelmingly dangerous. Political figures in the US and UK amplify false claims about crime and no-go zones, while some politicians benefit financially from platform monetization that rewards provocative content. Algorithmic amplification increases the reach of far-right messages and stokes public anger. Analysis of platforms shows a dramatic rise in posts claiming London is lawless. The foreign affairs select committee has asked X, Meta and TikTok for evidence and calls for urgent engagement with tech companies to mitigate these threats.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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