"The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee today published the government and Ofcom's responses to its July report, which concluded that the Online Safety Act (OSA) does not tackle the algorithmic amplification of false content and leaves users exposed to rapidly spreading misinformation - much of it supercharged by generative AI. Both the government and Ofcom accepted the committee's assessment that misinformation poses significant risks, yet ministers declined to adopt several major recommendations, including calls to extend online safety legislation to explicitly cover generative AI platforms."
"The government rejected that proposal, insisting AI-generated content is already covered under the OSA - a position that contradicts Ofcom's earlier testimony to the committee, in which the regulator said the legal status of generative AI was "not entirely clear" and suggested more work was needed. MPs also warned that misinformation cannot be meaningfully addressed without confronting the digital advertising business models that incentivise social media companies to promote harmful content."
The government declined several major recommendations aimed at curbing the viral spread of misinformation while accepting that misinformation poses significant risks. The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee concluded the Online Safety Act (OSA) does not tackle algorithmic amplification of false content and leaves users exposed to rapidly spreading misinformation, much of it supercharged by generative AI. Ministers refused to explicitly extend online safety legislation to cover generative AI platforms, insisting AI-generated content is already covered under the OSA, a stance that conflicts with Ofcom's earlier statement that the legal status of generative AI was "not entirely clear." MPs urged reforms to digital advertising models linked to amplification; the government said the issue would be kept under review.
Read at Business Matters
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