54 Accepted in Part

We are concerned about the UK’s legislative ability to withstand the kinds of threats reported...

Conclusion
We are concerned about the UK’s legislative ability to withstand the kinds of threats reported during elections in other countries. We therefore welcome the Government’s intention to legislate to protect the integrity of the UK’s democratic processes and institutions through the Representation of the People Bill, but it does not go far enough to safeguard future elections. (Conclusion, Paragraph 238)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, acknowledging concerns about democratic protection, and details further actions it is taking or planning, including a consultation on digital replicas, an AI-generated content labelling taskforce, ongoing review of the Online Safety Act framework, and a moratorium on crypto asset political donations via the Representation of the People Bill.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government Accepted in Part
Partially agree. The Representation of the People Bill is a landmark piece of legislation which will ensure everyone has a voice in our democracy. It is the boldest and most ambitious change to our democracy for decades. As set out in our response to recommendation 25, recognising the importance of addressing this and related risks, the Government will launch a consultation in the summer to seek views on how we address potential harms from digital replicas, while protecting legitimate innovation and freedom of expression. DSIT will also establish a Taskforce to put forward proposals for government on best practice for labelling AI-generated content, with an interim report to be published in Autumn. We acknowledge concerns about the role of algorithms in amplifying harmful content. That is why the Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to request information on algorithm design, including as it relates to illegal mis- and disinformation. While the OSA provides one of the strongest online safety frameworks anywhere in the world, including protections against illegal content, such as illegal election-related disinformation, we must ensure that protections keep pace with evolving threats, including to UK democracy. The Government will continue to actively review the framework to understand where the Act can be strengthened through evidence-based measures. Finally, we have accepted the recommendation in the independent Rycroft Review, published in March, to impose a moratorium on the use of crypto assets as political donations, to safeguard the integrity of our political finance system from foreign interference. We will implement this measure through the Representation of the People Bill and apply it retrospectively so that any political donations made in crypto assets from 25 March must be returned. With this policy, we are taking decisive action to defend the legitimacy and integrity of our democratic system from foreign interference.
Addressee Bodies
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.3 yrs
Report published 27 Mar 2026