The British public is being increasingly manipulated by a campaign of disinformation and fake news in social media, a growing crisis that threatens UK democracy, leaks from a parliamentary inquiry suggests.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee of the British Parliament is set to announce on Sunday the result of its investigation into social media manipulation, which is believed to have influenced the public on major issues, including on the 2016 Brexit referendum.
However, leaks from the report published Friday by former Vote Leave campaign strategist Dominic Cummings on his blog showed that the committee is very concerned about the dangers posed by fake news in social media.
Members of Parliament (MPs) have warned in the report that it was time for the government to act on the issue which created a serious “democratic crisis” for Britain.
They said in the report that there was a “relentless targeting of…