Online sites' news feeds scrutinized by regulator

Major social media platforms in the United Kingdom may soon be forced to disclose information about how they select news for their users.

The UK's media regulator, Office of Communications, known as Ofcom, said on Wednesday it is looking at compelling sites — including Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok — to explain how they decide to share some news items with some users, and other items with others.

Melanie Dawes, Ofcom's chief executive, told the Financial Times newspaper she is concerned that the process, and processes used by search engines and news apps such as Apple News and Google News, could mean people get certain types of information while missing out on others, which she fears could lead people to develop radical interpretations of the world around them that they have confirmed by what they see online.

"The more you consume your news from social media, the more likely you are to have more polarized views and find it harder to cope with other people's views," she told the paper. "That's a real concern."

On Wednesday, Ofcom published a report entitled Media Plurality and Online News that backs up Dawes's claims, and that says the regulator will make recommendations in 2024 about how technology platforms' news content should be regulated.

Dawes said Ofcom may seek to compel online "gatekeepers" operating in the UK to share the algorithms they use when selecting news feeds, so it can determine whether they are funneling users "into an echo chamber" in which they have conspiracy theories and other radical ideas amplified by news sources.

Ofcom said its research shows people who usually use social media to access news stories are less likely to get their facts straight than those who get their information from the television and from newspapers. It also said users are less likely than people who get it elsewhere to trust democratic institutions, and less likely to have empathy for the opinions of others.

Ofcom is a UK government-approved regulatory and competition authority that oversees the operation of the broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal industries. Its main job is to represent the public, protect people from harmful content, and make sure all opinions are fairly represented.

In its report, Ofcom said people are not always clear about the choices social media, search engines, and news apps make on their behalf.

"We think the starting point is transparency," Dawes told the FT. "So, it may not be about setting rules but it may be about requiring more transparency, or giving the regulator the ability to shine a light (on) how these feeds and algorithms work."

The Online Safety Bill, which could incorporate Ofcom's recommendations, has been taking shape for the past five years and is currently making its way through the UK's parliamentary process.