The government needs a TikTok strategy to help combat misinformation targeting young people, MPs have said.
Members of the all-party culture, media and sport committee said the government needed to adapt to new apps and platforms that appeal to young people who are increasingly turning away from traditional news sources.
The recommendation is part of a broader report released Friday that calls for greater use of “trusted voices,” such as scientists and doctors, to communicate important information and combat conspiracy theories and other misinformation spreading on social media.
Ofcom data said one in 10 12- to 15-year-olds cited TikTok as their main source of news, while 71% of 16- to 24-year-olds use social media instead of or in addition to news websites.
A TikTok spokesperson said they welcomed the recommendation that the government engage with the public on any social media platform it chooses to use.
The committee said: “TikTok’s recent growth and decisions to pull the plug on or potentially ban the platform demonstrate how quickly information sources are changing.
“New applications and platforms are quickly becoming important players, changing audience habits but also fragmenting the sources that the public uses to obtain information.
“The government must have a clear strategy to communicate with young people and adapt to the development of new applications and platforms that attract this audience.”
During the course of its investigation, the committee heard from BBC disinformation editor Rebecca Skippage, who said broadcasters needed to be “in those (social media) spaces” and learn from “disinformation merchants because they are extremely good at getting people’s attention.” .
MPs also heard from consumer advocate Martin Lewis, who said he had started using TikTok in response to “nonsense” produced by other users of the platform.
TikTok has become a cause of concern for the government in recent years, and security concerns led to the app being banned on official electronic devices and the UK parliament network.
Some Whitehall departments continue to use TikTok, with Defense Secretary Grant Shapps a prominent enthusiast of the platform, although his spokesperson said he does not use it on official devices.
Following the decision to ban TikTok on government devices, Shapps’ spokesperson said: “He is concerned that representatives of people who deliberately choose not to engage with the public on the platforms they actually use are unlikely to continue representing these voters.” for a long time. “
As well as developing a strategy to engage young people on the platforms they use, the committee urged the government to make greater use of “the large number of experts it employs”, building on the role played by Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance during the Covid-19 crisis. 19 pandemic.
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They also called for the government to be more transparent in publishing the evidence it used in formulating policy, especially in areas that are frequently subject to misinformation, in an effort to boost trust.
Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage said: “As the spread of misinformation on social media continues to be a very real problem, it is more important than ever that communities across the country have access to accurate and authoritative information that is Communicate in an open and relatable way. .
“There are lessons to be learned from the pandemic in which scientists played a critical role in communications. “The government is failing to give them a greater public role in the battle to counter disinformation.”
A government spokesperson said: “We use a variety of channels to reach people directly on the platforms they spend the most time on. This includes through marketing on digital and social media platforms, including those that attract younger audiences.
“Once implemented, the online safety law will also help address the root cause of misinformation by requiring social media platforms to quickly remove illegal misinformation and disinformation as soon as they become aware of it.”
A TikTok spokesperson said: “Millions of people come to TikTok to be entertained and informed, so we remove harmful misinformation, provide authoritative content through initiatives like polling stations and our new science, technology, engineering and mathematics feed and We also manage media literacy. campaigns to help our community distinguish fact from fiction.
“More and more politicians and public bodies are joining TikTok in order to provide users with reliable information about their campaigns, causes and policies, so we welcome this report’s recommendation that the government should engage with the public at any time.” platform they choose to use. “