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WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) – A UK parliamentary committee has said the UK government should hold tech companies accountable for "harmful and illegal content on their platforms" and that misinformation would threaten democracy.
The UK Parliament's Digital, Media, Sports and Culture Committee made recommendations in a report on the false news and its effect on the Brexit that was to be released on Sunday and handed over to embargoed media outlets . But Dominic Cummings, Vote Leave's campaign manager, who is slammed into the report for "scornful" behavior, posted a leaked version on his personal blog. He lambasted him as "false news" himself.
In the report, the committee details a more than a year survey of misinformation, social media and elections in the United Kingdom. The report looks at political advertising, the British company Analytical Data Analytica Cambridge, the Brexit vote and the electoral law.
The report's recommendations, if adopted, would radically change the way the UK treats technology companies. The committee suggested new taxes and fines for companies like Facebook and Twitter, and said the government should establish a "clear legal responsibility" for technology companies to take action against content deemed "dangerous and illegal".
This particular committee has been in close contact with members of Congress in the United States who are also investigating issues related to the spread of misinformation on social media and Russia's participation. Many believe that European countries are paving the way for more regulation for technology companies.
"Technology companies are not passive platforms on which users grab content, they reward what is most engaging," the committee writes. "They have greatly benefited from the use of this model and this manipulation of sites by technology companies must be made more transparent."
"Just as corporate finances are audited and controlled, the same type of audit and control should be done on the non-financial aspects of technology firms, including their security mechanisms and algorithms, for Ensure that they operate responsibly. "
The committee recommended that taxes be imposed on social media companies to fund "a comprehensive educational framework on the media" and stated that any political advertising work should be "listed for public display".
Any restrictions on political advertising on social media close to election days should also be considered, he added.
The committee also recommended setting the maximum fine for electoral law offenses as a percentage of the income of an Internet business – which would cause much more trouble for Facebook and Google than the Internet. current fine of £ 20,000.
Individuals should also be limited in how much money they can give to a political campaign, and the British police should investigate the SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, the committee wrote.
The United Kingdom should also consider creating an "Atlantic Digital Charter" to establish official collaboration with the United States on the issue of data privacy and digital rights.
"The report begins to attempt to expose the shady and secret world of these technology companies, as well as the high-level international links between companies, their affiliates and individuals," the committee wrote.
He criticized Facebook for "continuing reluctance" to conduct internal research on how Russia used its platform to influence voters, and called Facebook leader Mark Zuckerberg to appear before them for an audience.
In a statement, Facebook Vice President Richard Allan praised the report for raising "some important issues" and said Facebook "ensures that political advertising is fair and transparent and agrees that changes to the electoral rules are needed. ".
Facebook has already taken steps to make advertising on its platform more transparent, in addition to working on a way to "authenticate and label political ads in the UK," Allan said.
"We will work closely with the government and the UK Electoral Commission to develop these new transparency tools."
The report also details the methods of the now closed Cambridge Analytica data company in Britain's vote to leave the European Union, as well as the main backer Brexit Arron Banks, his spokesman Andy Wigmore and their relations with the Russian figures.
The government should also stop using the term "false news," the committee wrote in its report entitled "Misinformation and" false news ", because the term was adopted to mean" any misleading information " . do not like it. Instead, the committee recommends that the government define and use the words "misinformation" and "disinformation".
The interim report comes more than a year after the committee undertook the extensive investigation, which included dozens of interviews, hearings and evidence presentations. Last fall, the entire committee went to Washington where he held a special hearing to interview Facebook, Twitter and Google executives as well as experts in the field.
Cummings, the director of the Vote Leave campaign, who released the report before the embargo, declined a notice to appear before the committee and was referred to the House on the Privileges Committee. Damian Collins, the committee chair, criticized Cummings' refusal to appear and flee the report as "contemptuous behavior".
A final report will be published in the fall.
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