Policy

Misinformation and disinformation cause real harm to people’s lives, health, finances and to democracy. We work with policy makers to look at the ways they can ensure good information is available, easy to find, and understood; and what can be done to tackle misinformation and disinformation without harming free speech.

A Framework for Information Incidents

Events such as elections, public health emergencies and natural disasters can affect the information environment in ways that make it harder for those tackling misinformation to do so effectively. This was clearly evident in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, which prompted a slew of intensified measures from internet companies, governments, media, fact checkers, academics and civil society to try and tackle the huge amount of misinformation about the virus.

The subsequent responses showed how fast and innovatively those working to analyse and counter misinformation can respond. But it has also thrown light on the need for greater discussion of the principles behind such measures, of what proportionality means, and on the use of evidence.

Since 2020, Full Fact has been working with internet companies, fact checkers and governments to create a new shared model to fight online misinformation: the Framework for Information Incidents. We published this version of the Framework after running a consultation from March to June 2021.

We are still open to further feedback.

Providing good information during the coronavirus outbreak

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Full Fact is providing MPs with regular briefings on our work tackling misinformation, on social media and beyond.

16 July 2020: Looking in detail at important issues such as Covid-19 inequality, debunking coronavirus cures and tracking online misinformation across five countries
3 June 2020: Looking at what research can tell us about trust in health information, how we seek corrections and some of the latest claims we've checked
1 May 2020: Covering claims about a government-run network of fake NHS Twitter accounts, vaccine trials and seasonal workers' jobs
17 April 2020: Discussing claims linking 5G and coronavirus, help for victims of domestic violence and what questions the public are asking about Covid-19
30 March 2020: An overview of viral posts on social media, misleading information in the press and outlining our efforts to stop bad information online

Policy reports

In July 2023, Full Fact publishesd a parliamentary briefing on the Procedure Committee's recommendations on MPs correcting the record.

In April 2023, Full Fact published a report on health misinformation, Online health misinformation in the UK: Why it spreads, the impact it has, and how to reduce harm through the Online Safety Bill.

In March 2023, Full Fact published its fourth annual report, Full Fact Report 2023: Informed citizens: Addressing bad information in a healthy democracy.

In February 2022, Full Fact published its third annual report, Full Fact Report 2022: Tackling online misinformation in an open society—what law and regulation should do.

In January 2021, Full Fact published its second annual report, Full Fact Report 2021: Fighting a pandemic needs good information.

In April 2020, Full Fact published its first annual report, Full Fact Report 2020: Fighting the causes and consequences of bad information.

In 2018, we published a major policy report on misinformation and disinformation, Tackling Misinformation in an Open Society: what to do when the cure might be worse than the disease.

Letters and submissions

January 2023: Following Andrew Bridgen's suspension as a Conservative MP, Full Fact wrote to Nadhim Zahawi MP, Chair of the Conservative Party, to highlight the full extent of the Covid-19 vaccine misinformation that Mr Bridgen has spread, and to ask whether the Conservative Party intends to endorse an MP who behaves like this at the next election.
December 2022: Full Fact requested a correction from Priti Patel MP in relation to a false claim she made about the percentage of Albanian small boat arrivals over the summer.
September 2022: Full Fact requested a correction from Liz Truss MP in relation to an incorrect claim she repeatedly made about the amount households will pay on their energy bills, under the new energy support package.
February 2022: Full Fact requested a correction from Boris Johnson MP in relation to an incorrect claim he repeatedly made about the number of people in employment.
February 2022: Full Fact submitted evidence to the Committee on Standards Consultation on the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.
September 2021: Full Fact submitted evidence to the pre-legislative scrutiny Draft Online Safety Bill Joint Committee.
August 2021: Full Fact submitted evidence to the DCMS Sub-Committee on Online Harms and Disinformation on its inquiry on the Government’s approach to tackling harmful online content, outlined in its draft Online Safety Bill.
August 2021: Full Fact submitted evidence to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Elections Bill inquiry
February 2021: Full Fact submitted evidence to the Home Affairs Committee on online harms and the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic
January 2021: Full Fact submitted evidence to the Law Commission consultation on proposed changes to communications offences
January 2021: Full Fact submitted evidence to the Committee For Standards in Public Life
October 2020: Full Fact submitted evidence to the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. Chief executive Will Moy was invited to give oral evidence to the committee in a session that took place on 24 November
September 2020: Full Fact submitted evidence to Labour's consulation Our Digital Future
September 2020: Full Fact submitted evidence to the European Commission's consultation on the Digtial Services Act
July 2020: Full Fact raised concerns about the way in which statistics about coronavirus testing are being presented and communicated to the public, in a letter to the Office for Statistics Regulation
June 2020: Full Fact submitted evidence to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee's inquiry into preparedness for Covid-19 (coronavirus)
May 2020: Full Fact submitted evidence to the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee's inquiry on the future of journalism
April 2020: Full Fact submitted evidence to the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee's online harms and disinformation inquiry
October 2019: Full Fact submitted evidence to the House of Lords Democracy and Digital Technologies Committee
September 2019: Full Fact wrote to MPs and peers warning that the government must urgently update election laws to tackle the threat of interference and disinformation campaigns.
August 2019: Full Fact wrote to the Head of the Government Communications Service, asking for a public explanation of the governance of the planned £100m public information campaign on preparing for a no-deal Brexit
July 2019: Full Fact responded to the government's Online Harms White Paper consultation
July 2019: Full Fact and 11 other organisations published a joint letter to the Secretary of State about the National Data Strategy consultation, asking for urgent action in seven key areas. We received a response on 20 August.
July 2019: Our evidence was quoted in the report of the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Governance of Official Statistics
March 2019: Chief Executive Will Moy gave oral evidence to the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Governance of Official Statistics

Panel membership

Full Fact's Head of Policy and Advocacy Glen Tarman is a member of Ofcom's Making Sense of Media advisory panel.

For more information on our policy work, please contact our policy manager Glen Tarman. We'll be adding more of our past policy work to this page over time.