Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission: Social Media
The question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has produced guidance on whether social media companies intentionally adjusting network algorithms to favour specific political (a) candidates and (b) parties constitutes a donation in kind for the purposes of election finance requirements.
Answered by Sir Jeremy Wright
The Electoral Commission has not published specific guidance on network algorithms used by social media companies.
Delibaretely adjusting an algorithm to favour specific candidates or parties may constitute a donation in kind, if this has been agreed with the candidate or party in question.
If the candidate or party is unaware of the adjustment, it is unlikely to be a donation as donations require acceptance from the recipient.
Intentially adjusting an algorithm may constitute regulated non-party campaigning by the social media company, but this would depend on the nature of the platform and the adjustment made.
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