MP for Kenilworth and Southam Jeremy Wright has questioned the current regulations on what can be posted on the internet and social media, stating that 'individuals should be held to account for what they do'.

In an online statement Mr Wright has raised the issue of misinformation spread over the internet in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as recent events after the Presidential Election in the USA.

Mr Wright said: "As the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines continues, there is legitimate concern about what is being posted in particular on social media seeking to persuade us not to take the vaccine.

"There is a balance to be struck between freedom of speech and the responsible protection of the public interest. It should of course be permissible to question, doubt or dispute the evidence for the use of vaccines and their safety, but some of what is being promulgated is utterly false and known by those posting it to be so."

Mr Wright highlighted the possible consequences that such posts could have on an individual who was vulnerable but ultimately decided not to take the vaccine as a direct result of misinformation they had read online. He then stated that there was greater need to be able to punish those who deliberately spread misinformation.

"Individuals should be held to account for what they do".

Following a discussion over what social media companies themselves could do to help, his attention turned to the influence of social media amid unrest in the United States.

"Among the many striking features of what unfolded in Washington DC over the last few weeks, I suspect the decision that will come to have the most lasting significance was that of Twitter and Facebook to exclude Trump from their services.

"For years, digital companies such as these have maintained that they are platforms not publishers, in other words that they have no real control of what is said on their platforms and that they do not make editorial decisions about who gets to say what there."

In light of the decision to suspend Former President Trump, Mr Wright said: "I think it is clear that banning a sitting President from their services makes it much, much harder for them to maintain the argument that they have no role in, or responsibility for, what is said on them."

His statement can be read in full here.

If you liked this article, why not subscribe to our newsletter? Just enter your email address in the box at the bottom of this piece.

Remember to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and Instagram.

(Image of Jeremy Wright via parliament.uk