The law would tackle fake accounts on platforms such as
Meta's Facebook and Twitter that were set up on behalf of foreign states to
influence elections or court proceedings, the government said.
The law is likely to be passed during this parliamentary session
through an amendment to link the National Security Bill and Online Safety Bill,
both of which are in the government's current programme.
Communications regulator Ofcom will draw up codes of
practice to help social media companies comply with the law, and will have the
power to issue fines for infringement.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said on Monday the invasion
of Ukraine has shown how Russia uses social media to spread lies about its
actions.
"We cannot allow foreign states or their puppets to use
the internet to conduct hostile online warfare unimpeded," she said.
"That's why we are strengthening our new internet safety protections to
make sure social media firms identify and root out state-backed
disinformation."
Recently, India too reissued new rules on social media
companies that it proposed then abruptly withdrew in May, making no changes but
explaining that the law was needed because the companies had violated Indians'
constitutional rights.
The country in May released a draft of changes to its IT law
that would require companies to "respect the rights accorded to the
citizens under the constitution of India" and setting up a government
panel to hear appeals of the companies' content moderation decisions.
The government released the draft again in June without
changes and solicited public comments within 30 days. But New Delhi for the
first time explained its reasoning.
"A number of (technology) Intermediaries have acted in
violation of constitutional rights of Indian citizens," the government said,
without naming any company or specific rights. © Reuters