Misinformation: Social Market Foundation Report

Lord Bailey of Paddington Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

My Lords, my noble friend raises an important point. The Online Safety Act captures disinformation intended to disrupt elections when it constitutes an electoral offence, including foreign interference, incitement of violence against candidates and false statements about personal character. The Defending Democracy Taskforce, led by DSIT, works closely with government agencies, regulators and online platforms, particularly during recent elections, to improve preparedness, promote trustworthy information sources, and protect the integrity and resilience of our democratic process.

[Lord Bailey of Paddington (Con)]

My Lords, could the Minister tell me what work is being done to protect Black and Afro-Caribbean communities in particular from misinformation online? One of the most egregious examples of this was that, during the Covid period, Black communities were encouraged to believe that we were immune to Covid because we have melanin in our skin. We are under particular attack from fake doctors and all manner of fake people online. What work is being done for that very vulnerable community to defend it from disinformation and misinformation?