Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the dangers of state-sponsored disinformation.

The government recognises the serious threat posed by state-sponsored disinformation and has a number of tools available to respond and protect against these threats. For example, the Foreign Interference Offence in the National Security Act is now a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, requiring companies to act against a range of state-linked disinformation online targeting the UK.

In addition, the Defending Democracy Taskforce was established in November 2022. Its mission statement is to reduce the risk of foreign interference to the UK’s democratic processes, institutions, and society, and ensure that these are secure and resilient to threats of foreign interference.