The Government is launching an inquiry into the best ways to respond to the "growing phenomenon" of so-called fake news. The review by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee will be looking into the impact of the spread of fake news online and via social media has on the wold and attempting to understand where biased but legitimate commentary turns into "propaganda and lies".

The inquiry was launched following fears that US voters were subjected to "unprecedented amounts" of fake news during the presidential campaign which may have had a "significant impact on democratic processes".

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Damian Collins MP, chair of the committee, said: "The growing phenomenon of fake news is a threat to democracy and undermines confidence in the media in general.

"Just as major tech companies have accepted they have a social responsibility to combat piracy online and the illegal sharing of content, they also need to help address the spreading of fake news on social media platforms.

"Consumers should also be given new tools to help them assess the origin and likely veracity of news stories they read online.

"The committee will be investigating these issues, as well as looking into the sources of fake news, what motivates people to spread it, and how it has been used around elections and other important political debates."

A group of cross-party MPs will also look at whether changes in the selling and placing of advertising has encouraged the growth of fake news, and the responsibilities of search engines and social media sites in curtailing its spread.

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The inquiry will look into how people are reading 'propaganda and lies' via fake news Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Fake news inquiry questions

  • What is 'fake news'? Where does biased but legitimate commentary shade into propaganda and lies?
  • What impact has fake news on public understanding of the world, and also on the public response to traditional journalism? If all views are equally valid, does objectivity and balance lose all value?
  • Is there any difference in the way people of different ages, social backgrounds, genders etc use and respond to fake news?
  • Have changes in the selling and placing of advertising encouraged the growth of fake news, for example by making it profitable to use fake news to attract more hits to websites, and thus more income from advertisers?
  • What responsibilities do search engines and social media platforms have, particularly those which are accessible to young people? Is it viable to use computer-generated algorithms to root out 'fake news' from genuine reporting?
  • How can we educate people in how to assess and use different sources of news?
  • Are there differences between the UK and other countries in the degree to which people accept 'fake news', given our tradition of public service broadcasting and newspaper readership?
  • How have other governments responded to fake news?