Facebook yesterday said it is willing to face “meaningful regulation” after UK lawmakers accused the company of acting like a “digital gangster” that has knowingly violated laws and helped spread Russian misinformation during elections.
A House of Commons committee that oversees media policy chastised Facebook in a report on “disinformation and ‘fake news.'”
“Companies like Facebook should not be allowed to behave like ‘digital gangsters’ in the online world, considering themselves to be ahead of and beyond the law,” the report said.
“Facebook’s handling of personal data, and its use for political campaigns, are prime and legitimate areas for inspection by regulators, and it should not be able to evade all editorial responsibility for the content shared by its users across its platforms,” the report also said.
In response, Facebook said that it “share[s] the committee’s concerns about false news and election integrity and are pleased to have made a significant contribution to their investigation over the past 18 months, answering more than 700 questions and with four of our most senior executives giving evidence,” according to the BBC.
Facebook praised itself for recent changes it has made, but the company said it’s willing to face tougher laws. Facebook’s statement continued: