Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of which foreign governments have used organised social media disinformation and computational propaganda to manipulate public opinion in the past five years; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to combat the threat to democracy from the use of organised computational propaganda, including the employment of private companies by governments in delivering disinformation campaigns.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government takes the issue of information threats to national security seriously, including the risk posed by state-sponsored disinformation to democracy. It recognises that some foreign states attempt to manipulate information online to undermine the UK’s interests and weaken the integrity of our democratic institutions. The UK has a strong record of working closely with a wide range of different partners to tackle these risks.
For example, our Defending Democracy Taskforce works to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference, by engaging across government and with Parliament, the UK’s intelligence community, the devolved administrations, local authorities, the private sector, and civil society.
More broadly, the Online Safety Act will address a range of online manipulation tactics which pose a threat to UK democratic integrity. The Foreign Interference Offence has been added as a priority offence in the Act and will require companies to take action against a wide range of state-sponsored disinformation and state-linked interference targeted at the UK. Platforms will be required to take steps to remove content which amounts to foreign interference - including where it is produced by AI bots - if they become aware of it on their services.
Finally, we are working in collaboration with international partners to tackle this shared challenge. The UK recently issued a joint statement alongside the US and Canada on our coordinated efforts to counter foreign state information manipulation and is engaging internationally to manage risks on AI-enabled foreign interference, including disinformation. Government is also working to increase cooperation between like-minded international partners and the tech industry to safeguard forthcoming elections from state manipulation, including through the AI Summit.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to update the law with safeguards to prevent the creation and distribution online of manipulated and faked images.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the challenges that digitally manipulated media and faked images can pose and the Government’s legislative response has been designed to tackle the most egregious forms of this content.
This content will fall in scope of the Online Safety Act where it constitutes illegal content, including illegal misinformation or disinformation, or content which is harmful to children. Where companies become aware of illegal content in scope of the Act, they will need to take steps to remove it. For example, the False Communications Offence, which commenced on 31 January 2024, captures manipulated and faked images where the sender of such content is aware it is untrue and intends to cause non-trivial psychological or physical harm to the recipient. The Foreign Interference Offence has also been added as a priority offence in the Act, forcing companies to remove a wide range of state-sponsored disinformation, including manipulated media and faked images.
The Online Safety Act has also introduced new intimate image abuse offences, which commenced on 31 January. These now mean it is illegal to share without consent or threaten to share intimate images, including AI created or manipulated intimate images.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to essential public services, and that older people and those with disabilities are not adversely affected by the digitalization of public services; what assessment they have made of Age UK’s campaign ‘Offline And Overlooked’; and what plans they have to publish an updated digital inclusion strategy to support people of all ages to get online.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to closing the digital divide and meeting the commitment that nobody should be left behind in the digital age. The Government is working to remove barriers and ensure that online services are as inclusive as possible by making public sector websites accessible to as many people as possible.
The accessibility regulations ensure that websites and mobile apps are designed to be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. Furthermore, assisted digital support services aim to increase digital inclusion for those online users who lack digital confidence, digital skills or access to the internet.
The Government also understands the impact of poorly designed apps and websites, which do not take people with disabilities into account. That is why the Cabinet Office’s Central Digital and Data Office regularly monitors compliance with the regulations for the accessibility of public sector websites.
Training is available for elderly people wishing to acquire essential digital skills. The Government has introduced a digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills to undertake specified digital qualifications, up to level 1, free of charge. Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQs), introduced alongside the digital entitlement, are based on new national standards which set out the digital skills people need to get on in life and work. We also support the provision of essential digital skills training in community settings through the Adult Education Budget.
We also recognise that ongoing support is essential to overcome barriers of access. Through DCMS, our network of 2,900 public libraries across England provide a trusted network of accessible locations with staff, volunteers, free wifi, public PCs, and assisted digital access to a wide range of digital services. Charities such as Age UK and AbilityNet play an important role in assisting people with access to technology and the internet. The Government welcomes Age UK’s continued efforts to bridge the digital divide, especially with regards to the vulnerable and elderly.
The 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy, and the four pillars it sets out, remains as relevant today as it was when published. These principles were further echoed in the Government’s UK Digital Strategy published in 2022, and our vision to enable everyone from across the UK to benefit from all that digital innovation can offer.
The Department has noted the recommendations made in the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee’s report on digital exclusion and cost of living and will formally respond this month.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on negotiations to re-join the EU Horizon programme, including agreement on the UK’s financial contribution; and whether the Horizon programme or the UK-based Pioneer programme is their preferred choice to fulfil their goal of the UK as science superpower.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is moving forward with discussions on the UK’s involvement in Horizon Europe and hope these will be successful. That is the UK’s preference. While the Government hopes negotiations will be successful, participation must work for UK researchers, businesses and taxpayers.
Talks are ongoing and therefore a deal has not yet been agreed. A deadline for these talks has not been set but to provide the industry with certainty, the UK must come to a resolution as quickly as possible. The Government has set out Pioneer, the UK’s bold alternative, which we are ready to implement if association cannot be secured.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that WhatsApp and Signal will withdraw from the UK rather than comply with the provisions of the Online Safety Bill.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Bill includes strong safeguards for users’ privacy and does not require, or allow Ofcom to require, the routine scanning of all private messages.
However, as a last resort and when there is no alternative measure that would be equally effective, Ofcom can require platforms to use highly accurate technology to identify and remove illegal Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content only. Where no suitable technology is available, Ofcom can require a platform to use their best endeavours to develop or source new technology to tackle CSEA instead.