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1230383

registered interest
date	01/09/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) covid-19 disinformation and (b) other online harms on newspaper comment forums on public safety; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	83921
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been vitally important that the public has accurate information and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle disinformation.</p><p>The Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit was stood up on 5 March, bringing together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities. The Unit’s primary function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation regarding Covid-19 and to work with partners to ensure appropriate action is taken.</p><p>More generally, the Government’s Online Harms White Paper, published in April 2019, set out our plans for world-leading legislation to make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users which will be overseen by an independent regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance.</p><p>However, Online Harms regulation will not seek to duplicate existing regulation on moderated comment sections on news sites. The government is committed to independent self-regulation of the press. Complaints about user-generated comments on news websites can be directed to the publication itself, or to the appropriate self-regulator. The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by circulation—are members of IPSO. A small number of publishers have joined IMPRESS</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale grouped question UIN 83918 question first answered 09/09/2020 15:26:47 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1200721

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government, further to the fourth factsheet of the UK COVID-19 news and information project published by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism on 1 June, what assessment they have made of the results of the survey fielded from 21–27 May which reported that trust in Her Majesty's Government as a source of information about COVID-19 had “declined substantially since April”, and which showed a “significant increase in the percentage of people who say they are concerned about false or misleading information about coronavirus from the UK government”; and how they intend to tackle the issue of the loss of public trust in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL5307
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>In responding to this unprecedented pandemic, the Government has been guided by the very best scientific and medical advice from our world-leading experts, and we believe their advice to be trustworthy. This approach is illustrated in the advice received and followed from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). Protecting the health and safety of the British public is, and must always be, our number one priority. Minutes of SAGE meetings have been published and are available to view here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 18/06/2020 16:15:49 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1199831

registered interest
date	02/06/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to tackle fake news and disinformation on covid-19 as part of its campaign entitled Don’t feed the Beast.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	53510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>It is vitally important that the public has access to credible and verified information about COVID-19. As part of our counter disinformation campaign, “Don’t Feed the Beast”, we are increasing audience resilience by educating and empowering users who see or inadvertently share false and misleading information. The campaign promotes the SHARE checklist, providing the public with five easy steps to identify false information and actions to consider prior to sharing content online. It is currently running on Facebook and Instagram. Alongside publicly promoting the campaign, we continue to raise awareness of Don’t Feed the Beast with wider stakeholders, including social media platforms, civil society and academia.</p><p> </p><p>The campaign was previously targeted at 18-34 year olds, as this audience is considered vulnerable to disinformation. In March 2020 the campaign was relaunched to tackle misinformation and disinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic. It now targets all UK adults.</p><p><strong><br></strong>I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his question number 48542 on 2 June, which captures the wider actions we have taken to counter misinformation and disinformation related to COVID-19. This includes working closely with social media platforms to help them identify and remove incorrect claims about the virus, as well as promoting authoritative sources of information.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 08/06/2020 12:19:41 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1197715

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of technology companies on auditing those companies efforts to reduce disinformation during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	49685
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with technology companies, on a range of issues, including their work to reduce disinformation during the covid-19 outbreak. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> website.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 08/06/2020 10:58:08 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1196618

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding from the public purse the Government has allocated to preventing the spread of misinformation on covid-19 since 1 March 2020.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	48419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2020 answer text <p>Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. The DCMS-led Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) was stood up on 5 March 2020, bringing together cross-government monitoring and analysis capabilities from DCMS, the Home Office, the Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office and the Cabinet Office. In response to the current situation, we have trebled the size of the coordination team at DCMS.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>CDU capability is resourced full time through existing cross-government teams.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Addressing the challenges of disinformation and misinformation is a whole of government effort and we are working around the clock with Whitehall departments, the social media platforms, and disinformation specialists in academia and civil society to lead the fight against misinformation and disinformation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 27/05/2020 09:32:07 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1196671

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the spread of fake news relating to covid-19 circulating (a) on social media and (b) in print media.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	48542
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. It is vitally important, at this time of national emergency, that the public has accurate information and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle disinformation. The Government has seen positive steps taken by social media platforms to curtail the spread of harmful and misleading narratives related to COVID-19. We are working closely with platforms to help them identify and remove dangerous and incorrect claims about the virus, in line with their terms and conditions, as well as promote authoritative sources of information.</p><p> </p><p>To help drive awareness of the Government’s national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about COVID-19, we have created new and innovative partnerships to drive awareness, engagement and compliance. This includes a significant public information campaign across the local and national press which is providing information and reassurance to the public and is ensuring that authoritative, up-to-date information about the Government’s response to Covid-19 is distributed through reliable channels. The government does not intervene in what the press can and cannot publish. Newspapers are subject to independent self-regulation.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is running a counter disinformation campaign, “Don’t feed the Beast” which aims to increase audience resilience by educating and empowering those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information. The campaign promotes the SHARE checklist, providing the public with five easy steps to identify false content, encouraging users to stop and think before they share content online.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 02/06/2020 08:48:02 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1196703

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to take steps to obtain an independent assessment of the performance of technology companies in tackling the spread of disinformation on covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	48423
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government has seen positive steps taken by social media platforms to curtail the spread of harmful and misleading narratives related to Covid-19. Major platforms have updated their terms of service and made technical changes to their products in order to reduce the impact of harmful misinformation. This includes measures to ensure users see accurate information on Covid-19, including links to NHS and other authoritative sources.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government continues to work closely with platforms to help them identify and take action to remove dangerous, incorrect claims about the virus, and suspend the accounts of people who wilfully post and share it. While there has been positive engagement so far, we want the platforms to continue to take further steps to address misinformation and disinformation relating to Covid-19 on their systems.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 27/05/2020 10:19:08 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1195645

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the role of (a) anonymous and (b) pseudo-anonymous social media accounts in spreading disinformation about the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
uin	46703
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>We are working closely with technology companies, civil society and academia to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period. The Cross-Whitehall Counter-Disinformation Unit was stood up on 5 March 2020 to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation on Covid-19, and is working with partners to ensure appropriate action is taken. On April 23rd DCMS published new guidance for all users on staying safe online during the Covid-19 pandemic. It includes detailed advice on privacy settings, cyber security and disinformation.</p><p>The Government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. We expect companies to take responsibility for tackling abusive behaviour on their services such as taking steps to limit anonymised users abusing their services, including harassing others. We are continuing work to develop the final policy position on the new online harms regulatory framework and intend to publish a full government response later this year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage grouped question UIN 46702 question first answered 21/05/2020 13:11:55 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

1192919

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what resources have been allocated to tackling the spread of misinformation on covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	43223
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>In support of the Government’s central Covid-19 response, the Counter Disinformation Unit stood up on 5 March 2020. The Unit brings together cross-government capabilities, including monitoring, analysis and strategic communications. It includes teams in DCMS, the Home Office, the Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office and the Cabinet Office.</p><p> </p><p>The capability is resourced full time through existing cross-government teams. We have reallocated staff from within the Department to treble the size of the team at DCMS.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 11/05/2020 10:02:47 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1190284

registered interest
date	24/04/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Disinformation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to prevent false information on covid-19 being spread on the internet.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	39666
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the issue of misinformation and disinformation very seriously. It is vitally important that the public has accurate information.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Counter Disinformation Unit brings together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities. The Unit’s primary function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation regarding Covid-19.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We are working closely with social media platforms to help them identify and remove incorrect claims about the virus, in line with their terms and conditions, as well as promote authoritative sources of information. We are also working with strategic communications experts to ensure that we are prepared to respond to disinformation campaigns where necessary.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government is also running a counter disinformation communications campaign, which aims to increase audience resilience by educating and empowering those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 06/05/2020 15:07:42 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith