Facebook ‘should verify content to prove to users articles aren’t fake news’ - UK politician says

Facebook should verify its content to prove to users articles are not fake news, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee chairman has told Sky News. It is one of the measures MPs will consider as part of an inquiry into the spread of fake news on the internet which is being launched on Monday. Damian Collins said the big social media platforms had to start taking responsibility for the proliferation of stories that are not true.

Just as major tech companies have accepted they have a social responsibility to combat piracy online and the illegal sharing of content, they also need to help address the spreading of fake news on social media platforms.

Damian Collins

The Tory MP suggested the Government could also ask Facebook to investigate where fake news is coming from, seek out the locations of fake news firms and the servers they are using. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Collins highlighted the scale of the problem saying that in the last three months of the US election campaign the top fake news stories had more shares than top legitimate stories. Mr Collins made clear it was the big media firms and social media platforms he expected to take action.

Technology