Photo: Katie Raymer

How fake news is being tackled across Europe

Social media and other digital technologies have made it easier to produce, distribute and access news and information online, often without verification or editorial judgement. Research by Columbia University and the French National Institute show that 59% of links shared on Twitter are shared without being read. This has helped fake news to flourish online.

What is fake news?

One of the major problems for those tasked with tackling fake news is that there is no clear, agreed definition for what it actually is. Fake news is not new. Even how it differs from propaganda is uncertain. Generally, it is defined as content intended to misinform or influence the reader (often known as disinformation). But content that unintentionally misleads the reader is sometimes also labelled as fake news. Content may mix fact and fiction, or include unreliable information or bias. In addition, fake news is often used by some to describe content from established news providers that they dislike or disagree with.

Studies have found that the extent and effect of fake news varies between countries. Research carried out by BuzzFeed News found that in the final three months before the 2016 US Presidential Election, Facebook user interactions with fake news stories overtook interactions with mainstream news stories. In the UK however, the most popular shared articles containing misinformation on social media during 2016, came from established news sources. These tended to contain some truth, but were generally distorted or exaggerated. Completely fabricated news stories floundered.

The Oxford Internet Institute examined content shared on Twitter during the 2017 UK General Election, the 2017 French Presidential Election and the 2016 US Presidential Election. They reported that UK users shared a higher proportion of information from professional news outlets (54%) compared to US users (34%), but a lower proportion than users in France (57%, before Round 1 of voting).

UK approaches to tackle fake news

Attempts to address fake news in the UK have largely been led by industry or independent organisations. Facebook and the non-profit organisation, First Draft News, teamed up to produce and promote advice on how to identify fake news in the run up to the 2017 UK General Election. The number of fact-checking bodies has increased, and there have been calls for children to be taught how to understand the veracity of online information as part of the curriculum. It is not yet understood how effective these strategies can be, and some argue they do not go far enough.

In January 2017, the UK Parliament’s House of Commons Culture, Media and Sports Committee launched an inquiry into fake news, however after the General Election was announced, it was dropped due to the dissolution of Parliament.

What regulations are there already in the UK?

The UK Government currently has no specific policies for addressing fake news. Communications such as TV, radio and on-demand video services are regulated by Ofcom, but other communications such as printed news, social media and online written content (like blogs or opinion pieces) are not. Most newspapers, magazines and their associated websites follow standards set by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) or the Independent Monitor for the Press (IMPRESS), however some larger online media outlets (for example BuzzFeed News and Huffington Post) are not members.

News organisations have legal liability for the content they publish, but social media platforms and search engines do not. Social media companies like Facebook, state that they are technology (rather than media) companies, as they do not generate or alter content and they “do not want to be the arbiters of truth”.

What is being done across Europe?

Concerns about fake news has led other countries and the EU to consider approaches to tackle fake news both through regulation and legislation. Below are some examples of what is being done to address fake news:

Germany

A new law has been passed in Germany that allows fines of up to €50m for social media platforms that do not remove content such as defamatory fake news and hate speech quickly (from within 24 hours to 7 days of it being reported, depending on content).

France

In the run up to the 2017 Presidential Election, First Draft News developed a collaborative project called CrossCheck that enabled news organisations to report false, misleading and confusing claims that circulated online.

Italy

The President of Italy’s competition authority has called for EU member states to set up independent bodies to remove fake news and impose fines. A bill has also been proposed which aims to introduce specific provisions to criminalise certain behaviours relating to fake news. For example, those who publish or circulate fake news will be punished by a fine of up to €5000.

Czech Republic

Following recommendations made by the Czech Government’s National Security Audit, a unit (called the Centre Against Terrorism and Hybrid Threats) was set up to target threats which include foreign disinformation campaigns. When disinformation is identified, the centre will inform the public on its website and Twitter account.

EU

The EU is treating fake news as a credible threat and held plenary discussions on it in April 2017. In 2015, a task force was set up to address Russia’s ongoing disinformation campaigns. In November 2016, the European Parliament called for reinforcement of the task force after further warnings about Russian anti-EU propaganda.

What next?

It is not yet known whether any of these approaches will work or whether the UK will take similar action. Internet regulation has been identified as a key issue for the new Parliament, and is likely to remain on the agenda for policy makers for years to come.

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This article was written by Katie Raymer, a postgraduate fellow at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) during her STFC Policy Internship. POST is Parliament’s in-house source of independent and balanced analysis of science and technology policies. Katie Raymer is the co-author of POST’s briefing on Online Information and Fake News.

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

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Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology (POST) is the UK Parliament's in-house source of scientific advice.

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