Tech
FAKE NEWS: UK MPs call for stricter regulation of Facebook
Days after it was indicted for using an Iranian cyber-spying operation, UK MPs have called for a stricter regulation of social media giants Facebook.
The MP’s say a tough and urgent action is necessary to end the spread of disinformation on the platform.
The MP’s added that untrue stories from foreign powers were risking the UK’s democracy as the firm’s founder Mark Zuckerberg failed to show “leadership or personal responsibility” over fake news.
However, Facebook welcomed the digital select committee’s report and said it would be open to “meaningful regulation”.
Read also: Russia to cut itself off global internet
Days ago, it was revealed that a former US Air Force intelligence officer allegedly worked with Iranian hackers who used Facebook and e-mail to try to trick her former colleagues into downloading malware that would track their computer activity.
Monica Witt was charged with espionage after she provided national defense information to the Iranian government, the US Department of Justice said last Wednesday. Witt, a US citizen, defected to Iran in 2013 and is still at large.
Facebook has been under pressure to do more to combat misinformation and continues to pull down fake accounts this year, including 783 pages, groups and accounts tied to Iran.
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