Spain introduces bill to combat online fake news

Spain’s leftwing government has announced a bill extending a requirement to publish corrections to posts by digital platforms and social media influencers in an attempt to fight disinformation.

The explosion of social media in recent years has allowed new actors to reach larger audiences but raised concerns about a lack of regulation and the spread of fake news.

The draft law replaces legislation from 1984 and targets internet users who have more than 100,000 followers on a single platform or 200,000 across several, the justice ministry said in a statement.

These outlets and the platforms that host them must have a mechanism to facilitate citizens’ right to ask that false or inaccurate information that harms them be corrected publicly, the ministry said.

The correction request will no longer have to be addressed to the outlet’s director because confirming their identity is difficult for many “pseudo media”, justice minister Félix Bolaños told a press conference.

“We’re making life more difficult for those who dedicate themselves to lies and spreading fake news every day, and, therefore, it is good news for democracy,” Bolaños added.

Consumer rights association FACUA welcomed the announcement, saying it allowed people to “undertake measures in defence of their honour”.

The government has frequently lashed out at online platforms for spreading what it describes as politically motivated “filth” targeting Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez and his family.

Fighting disinformation is part of the government’s its plan for “democratic renewal”, launched earlier this year after a judge began investigating Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged corruption and influence peddling.

A group with far-right ties that submitted the complaint admitted it was based on unverified media reports.

The bill must go through a consultation phase before being put before parliament.