‘We must clean up social media before it poisons our democracy’

My experience as a candidate in the 2024 General Election opened my eyes to a troubling reality – the growing threat that online disinformation poses to our democracy.

Up and down the country, many candidates were targeted by smear campaigns on social media and subjected to a torrent of false information designed to undermine their credibility and impact public opinion. Fabricated stories circulated online about people’s genders, careers, reputations and even their families. These weren’t just personal attacks – they were calculated attempts to distort the democratic process itself, weaponising mistruths to manipulate voters and erode trust in our institutions.

READ MORE: Hillsborough Law: ‘A landmark step, but truth must not be compromised

This is not just a UK issue. Around the world, we’ve seen how misinformation can destabilise democracies, from election interference in the United States and Brazil to coordinated disinformation campaigns in Eastern Europe and parts of Africa. In each case, false narratives shared on digital platforms have been used to influence results, erode trust in institutions, and incite division.

The UK must not be complacent in the face of this growing global threat.

Truth matters

If left unchecked, it will deter good people from standing for public office and distort the democratic choices made at the ballot box.

That’s why I’ve launched the Truth Matters campaign – a cross-party initiative to clean up social media and protect the integrity of our elections.

We are not calling for sweeping restrictions on free speech, nor are we seeking to rewrite the Online Safety Act. This is about a minimal but critical change and updating our electoral laws to reflect the digital age.

We propose a targeted amendment to the Elections Bill to add electoral disinformation to the list of harms in the Online Safety Act, which would help bring Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act into the 21st century. This law already makes it illegal to publish false statements about the character or conduct of election candidates – but it was written for a pre-digital era. Our amendment would:

● Apply S106 explicitly to online platforms and content;
● Clarify enforcement responsibilities in a digital context, including Ofcom’s role;
● Maintain all current protections for freedom of speech;
● Not criminalise any speech not already illegal under existing law and case precedent.

This is not a new law, but a modernisation of one that already exists, ensuring it works effectively in the age of social media and algorithm-driven content.

Dangerous loophole

Right now, UK election law simply hasn’t kept pace with the way information spreads online.

The result is a dangerous loophole. Disinformation spreads freely, often anonymously, and the damage is done before any correction can catch up. While the Online Safety Act tackles many online harms, it does not directly address electoral disinformation. That gap must be closed.

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Our proposal is straightforward. This is not about censorship. It is about ensuring the truth matters in our democracy.

I’ve been meeting with MPs and peers and I’m encouraged by the broad support for this effort. Politicians are recognising that unless we act, our elections will become increasingly vulnerable to online manipulation and deceit.

Upholding democracy and fairness

Labour has always been a party that defends democracy and upholds fairness. I believe we have a responsibility to lead the way in addressing this urgent challenge. That’s why I’ll be hosting an event at Labour Party Conference this year to bring together campaigners, MPs, legal experts and members to discuss how we can take action – and what it will take to protect the integrity of our future elections.

We are entering a new era of politics, one where truth is under attack from anonymous accounts, AI-generated content, and global misinformation networks. If we don’t adapt our laws now, we risk losing control of the very system that gives power to the people.

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I believe in democracy. I believe in accountability. And I believe in a politics where facts still matter. That’s why I’m asking my colleagues in the Labour party to join me in saying clearly “truth matters”.

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