Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The British government announced an investigation Monday of Internet distribution of "fake news" and social media companies' responsibility to control it.
The House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee will lead the investigation to identify those most likely to be influenced by false information, set an industry definition of the phenomenon and determine if companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter should take more responsibility in controlling proliferation, Politico reported Monday.
"The growing phenomenon of fake news is a threat to democracy and undermines confidence in the media in general," said committee chief and member of Parliament Damian Collins.
The committee cited Internet information in advance of the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, and the 2016 referendum on Britain's departure from the European Union, as examples of inaccurate data which may have altered the course of the voting.
"Just as major tech companies have accepted they have a social responsibility to combat piracy online and the illegal sharing of content, they also need to help address the spreading of fake news on social media platforms. Consumers should also be given new tools to help them assess the origin and likely veracity of news stories they read online," Collins added.
