.The big dEE .

8.1.25

LONDON: Safeguarding democracy was on the minds of lords on Tuesday.

Their concern was the influence of foreign owned social media companies, rather than absolutist appointment system of the upper house of parliament.

Labour peer baroness Chakrabarti asked for the government’s plan “to restrict the impact of foreign-owned social media companies upon UK democratic politics and public order.”

“My Lords, we are committed to the implementation and integrity of our democracy, but we cannot be complacent. It is a collective endeavour to protect it against threats and ensure that it remains robust,” said unelected labour peer and lord privy seal baroness Smith of basildon.

Smith added the online safety act obliges social media companies to act to protect UK users from “offences relating to public order and terrorism, as well as illegal foreign interference that undermines our democratic politics.”

The democratic void in the UK’s political system was not discussed.