Lucy Powell calls for social media regulation during election periods

Social media sites should be faced with restrictions during elections in a similar way to broadcasters, Labour’s deputy leader said.

Lucy Powell, a close ally of the likely next prime minister Andy Burnham, will seek to tighten the Representation of the People Bill to place legal duties on platforms such as X and Meta during election periods.

Broadcasters have to stick to strict impartiality and balance rules during election periods.

Ms Powell told the Sunday Mirror: “Today, millions of people get their news from social media, yet our laws haven’t kept pace.

“The biggest influence on what many voters see during election campaigns is not a TV news bulletin, it’s social media feeds decided by opaque algorithms, where falsehoods, deepfakes and co-ordinated mis and disinformation can spread at alarming speed, with real-world consequences.

“Freedom of expression is fundamental to our democracy.

“These proposals are not about policing political opinions or censoring legitimate political debate.

“They are about asking how we can make sure the public can make informed choices based on accurate information.”

The Representation of the People Bill is set to have its final Commons stages on July 14.

Ms Powell told Times Radio: “We’ve got this big elections bill going through Parliament at the moment, which is doing some great things like votes at 16 and clamping down on overseas donations.

“And I think that’s a really good opportunity for us to really think about and strengthen that Bill to ensure that there are at least some, if not as tight as it is for broadcasters, but I would argue it should be some, regulations around social media, around what information and news they can amplify and share during election time if it’s not been checked for its accuracy or balance.”