Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the decision by Meta to end fact-checking across its online platforms will have on the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Meta has stated that they are not rolling out these changes for the UK market at this stage. We are in contact with the platform to understand potential implications for UK users and will monitor changes as they are operationalised.
Regardless of changes to Meta’s US policies, the UK’s Online Safety Act will oblige all social media companies to remove illegal content and content harmful to children in the UK. Failure to comply could lead to significant fines and potentially legal action. We continue to engage with Meta on the implementation of the OSA.