The UK’s Electoral Commission, in partnership with Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office, will launch a new hub to advise voters on critically assessing information encountered online, amidst concerns of foreign interference and AI-generated content affecting the information space.
The UK’s Electoral Commission will publish advice to caution voters about disinformation online during the current election campaign. This move comes amidst concerns of foreign interference from countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The Commission, collaborating with Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office, will launch a new hub on its website. The hub will provide guidance urging voters to critically assess the information they encounter online, especially on social media.
This initiative follows warnings from The Alan Turing Institute, which revealed that although there is minimal evidence of artificial intelligence (AI) directly affecting election results, AI-generated content has contributed to a “polarised information space.” Issues highlighted include the spread of deepfake audios that falsely portray political figures.
Recent examples include fake audios targeting Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, which falsely attributed controversial statements to them. The National Security Strategy Committee has also raised concerns about potential foreign interference, emphasized in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following the announcement of a snap general election.
The Electoral Commission’s advice will not include specific instructions on identifying deepfakes but will encourage voters to verify the credibility of sources and the accuracy of the information they see online.
