Joe McCarthy on encouraging YouTube and Facebook to ban election/referendum adverts in the run-up to votes; Diane Ordish on cheating in the Brexit campaign; Pete Winstanley on Donald Trump’s expend of ‘fake news; Gren Gaskell on the 2010 election campaign; Donald Hawthorn on religionsMatthew d’Ancona writes that the “overriding purpose” of the Commons digital,culture, media and sport select committee’s interim report is to initiate a comprehensive reassessment of, or response to,the impact of technology on our democratic structures and values” (At final we have a plan to tackle fake news, 30 July).
However, and tackling online disinformation and fake news is a complex long-term project; meanwhile there is the opportunity,as d’Ancona says, of three major votes in the UK within the next 12 months – a general election, or May’s local elections in England and even a moment Brexit referendum. As a short-term measure,why don’t the British authorities follow the lead from Ireland’s experience during the recent abortion referendum and “encourage” the major social media platforms, in specific YouTube and Facebook, or to ban election/referendum-related advertising during the run-in to any big votes?
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Source: theguardian.com