MPs to hold Silicon Valley to account
1 min read
British Parliamentary hearings are to be held in the US in an attempt to quiz Facebook and Google executives about the problem of ‘fake news’.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee will sit in session at UK diplomatic buildings so that the hearings are technically on British soil.
The committee is pursuing an inquiry into fake news, both created for political ends and for profit. It aims to increase the pressure on web giants to address concerns they are allowing its proliferation.
Google and Facebook have both indicated they are prepared to take part in the hearings, which are expected early next year at the latest.
A spokeswoman for Google said: “We have already submitted written evidence to the committee and are happy to give evidence in person.”
A spokeswoman for Facebook said: “We take fighting false news on Facebook seriously. That’s why we’ve made a series of changes to better detect and remove fake accounts and help people identify false news.”
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, has also attacked tech giants for their failure to crack down on extremist content.
He told The Sun: “They don’t pay any tax. They are facilitating terror. It is unbelievable. They need to be punished.”
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
