UK Considers Rules to Boost Trusted News Content on Social Media Platforms
The UK government is considering regulations that would require social media platforms to give greater prominence to trusted and verified news publishers in an effort to improve access to credible information and combat misinformation
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The UK government is looking at new rules that could force big social media platforms to show more content from verified and trusted news publishers, according to a Reuters report.
According to reports, under the plan, platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok could be made to give more prominence to content from recognised public service broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 and other verified news organisations in user feeds and search results.
The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is spearheading the effort as part of a wider push to reform regulation of digital platforms and to improve access to trustworthy information on the internet.
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Trusted News:
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the proposed measures are designed to help users navigate an increasingly crowded digital landscape dominated by algorithm-driven content recommendations.
“It is vital that we make sure that people have better access to trusted and accurate news and that our regulated public service media is seen and heard,” Nandy said.
The proposal comes as news consumption habits continue to change to social media platforms. Most UK adults now get their news from social media, according to media regulator Ofcom, with about three in four 16 to 24-year-olds saying they find it to be their main source of news.
There are still high concerns about misinformation. Research has already shown that up to 40% of UK adults come across online misinformation in a typical month, leading policymakers to examine ways of improving access to credible and regulated sources of information.
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Government officials see an opportunity to boost exposure to trusted news content to address misinformation, especially around major public events and moments of national importance.
But the proposal is expected to face resistance from the big tech companies. In the past, social media sites have fought government intervention in their recommendation engines by maintaining that ranking algorithms are proprietary and central to the user experience.
Critics of the proposal also will likely raise concerns that preferential treatment for approved publishers could affect user choice and disadvantage independent creators, smaller publishers and emerging media outlets that may not qualify under any official trusted-news designation.
