Dr Elinor Carmi calls on government to challenge big tech following digital media literacy report

The government’s failure to prioritise media literacy is damaging social cohesion and democracy in the UK, according to a new report by the Communications and Digital Committee.

The House of Lords' inquiry was launched after Ofcom revealed one in four adults in the UK find it difficult to distinguish between true and false information.

“Being media literate can help protect people of all ages from scams, disinformation and exposure to harmful content,” said Baroness Keeley, Chair of the Committee, on launching the inquiry.

Critically analysing media and online content is increasingly difficult as AI tools become more sophisticated.

The serious consequences of online misinformation – and the inability to recognise disinformation – are stark. In August 2024, violent riots broke out, with protesters attacking asylum seekers’ hotels after social media posts falsely claimed that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was a Muslim immigrant.

It was no coincidence that the results of the inquiry were published on the same day the Online Safety Act came into effect on Friday 25 August.

“Online safety and media literacy go hand in hand; tackling the complexity of the digital world will require a combination of regulation and education,” Baroness Keeley explained.

Trusted faces in local places can teach digital media literacy

Dr Elinor Carmi, Senior Lecturer in Data Politics & Data Justice at City St George’s, University of London, was quoted in the report arguing that “local and contextual projects would make more sense to people and their communities” to provide media literacy education.

This approach, in which education is delivered through trusted local organisation and networks, works particularly well in underserved communities.

Examples of this were seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. British Muslims had low take-up of the vaccine. To tackle this, the NHS partnered with local mosques – places of trust and community – to encourage vaccination.

The media literacy report listed workplaces, schools, libraries, places of faith and even supermarkets as potential hubs.

For younger British citizens, the report found education needs to be embedded into the national curriculum, as is done in  Finland, which ranks highest in the world on the Media Literacy Index.

Tech giants cannot be trusted to protect digital rights

Dr Carmi also called for a new levy on tech companies to fund sustainable, independent media literacy initiatives.

Governments and social media platforms need to work together to ensure better media literacy, but Dr Carmi warned a cautious approach had to be taken.

“Collaboration with [social media] platforms around media literacy and digital rights needs to be handled carefully,” she told the House of Lords, as the platforms “have not proven themselves to put people’s wellbeing and digital rights at the top of their priorities.”

Internet users not knowing their digital rights, such as the protected right to privacy through General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation in the European Union (EU) and the UK, means tech companies can continue to collect and sell personal data for financial gain.

Dr Carmi pointed towards several cases in which social media platforms’ algorithms prioritised dis-/mis-/mal-information over fact, as well as deceptive implementation of the GDPR, such as the consent mechanism, which proliferate across the web.

A leadership vacuum in digital media literacy

The inquiry report warned that there was a “leadership vacuum” on media literacy. It cautioned Ofcom was making “valuable contributions”, the problem needed to be addressed from within Whitehall to enact meaningful change.

In June, PM Starmer committed to dedicating £187 million funding in an AI skills drive, with a focus on young people, which will see collaboration with big tech companies such as Google and Microsoft to deliver training programmes.

In response, Dr Carmi co-signed a letter alongside peers in the Connected by Data nonprofit to call on the government to add “critical AI literacy for all citizens” to the skills drive.

She believes the funding commitments are “important steps” but hopes some of the cash will go towards preexisting local organisations who can adjust their upskilling and literacy projects for their specific communities.

Dr Carmi called for an Online Harms Tax, with money being allocated by media regulator Ofcom to local media and digital and data literacy organisations.

In her latest research paper, carried out as part of a City St George’s-funded project, she argued society must challenge big tech.

Dr Elinor Carmi is an advocate for digital rights and provided written expert evidence to the inquiry. She is a member of the University’s Centre for Online Safety, Safeguarding, Privacy and Identity (COSPI), an interdisciplinary research centre researching digital safety to provide practical, policy-focused solutions. For further academic insight or to speak with an expert in COSPI, please get in touch with the Press Office at City St George’s, University of London.