Full Fact welcomes Facebook’s call for new UK laws to protect elections

We welcome Facebook's call this morning for new UK laws to protect our elections. This is urgent.

But it can’t be left to Facebook to safeguard our democracy. We respectfully remind MPs that the Electoral Commission, the Information Commissioner's Office, and their own Select Committee have already called for Parliament to make the changes needed to protect our elections.

We need emergency legislation before we next head to the polls. This should provide full transparency about the content, targeting, reach, and spend of online advertising, which can be misused to try to manipulate elections. 

The current voluntary steps by Facebook and other internet companies are not enough to protect our democracy from misuse of online adverts. It's time for British election rules to be set by parliament in an open democratic and transparent process.

Full Fact works to fight the causes and consequences of bad information in public life. We will continue to play an independent role in Facebook’s Third Party Fact Checking programme, including during any election campaign. We publish regular transparency reports including recommendations for how the programme can be improved.