Social media and politics
The nutshell
Social media lets millions of people read about politics and post opinions, all in one place. Politicians, news outlets and voters use it to reach big audiences fast.
Every fact on this page comes from official rules and non-partisan fact-checkers. Each source tag — like EC — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What social media does in politics
Social media means apps and websites where people post messages, videos and pictures for others to see. In politics, politicians use it to share plans and reply to voters. News outlets use it to spread stories. Voters use it to read the news and post opinions.
Online political adverts must show who paid
A paid political advert online now has to carry a digital imprint. That is a short label naming who paid for the advert and who it is for. The Electoral Commission says these rules started in November 2023, so a voter can see who is behind an advert.EC
Political adverts follow different rules
Ordinary adverts must be legal, decent, honest and truthful. The Advertising Standards Authority checks that. The House of Commons Library says political adverts are largely left out of those rules, so most are not checked for accuracy in the same way.HoC
Getting a message to Parliament
Online tools also connect people straight to Parliament. On the official petitions website, a petition that gets 10,000 signatures earns a response from the government. One that reaches 100,000 signatures is considered for a debate by MPs.Parl
- Politicians and parties can reach voters directly, without going through a newspaper or a broadcaster
- Online petitions let people raise an issue with Parliament, and 100,000 signatures means it is considered for debate
- Since November 2023, paid political adverts online must carry a label showing who is behind each one
- Anything can be posted, true or not, so a false claim can spread before it is checked
- Most political adverts are not checked for accuracy the way ordinary adverts are
- A post can be shared so widely that it is hard to tell who first made a claim
The deep end6 min
How social media changed political campaigning
Social media lets a politician, a party or a news outlet reach large audiences directly, without a newspaper or a broadcaster in between. A single post can be passed on by ordinary users again and again. The House of Commons Library has tracked how political campaigning has moved onto online platforms, and how the rules have tried to keep up.HoC
The rules on online political adverts
Two rules matter most. First, a paid online political advert must carry a digital imprint. The Electoral Commission explains that this label names the promoter of the advert and anyone it is promoted for, and that the rules came into force in November 2023.EC Second, political adverts sit outside the main advertising rules. The House of Commons Library notes that ordinary adverts must be legal, decent, honest and truthful and are checked by the Advertising Standards Authority, while political adverts are largely left out of that system.HoC
Checking what spreads online
Because anything can be posted, false claims can travel fast. Full Fact, an independent fact-checking charity, checks claims made by politicians and the media as well as viral posts. Full Fact states that it checks claims, not people, and takes no side.FF Its work is one way to test a claim rather than trust a post on its own.
From a post to Parliament
Online tools also give people a direct line to Parliament. On the official petitions website, a petition that reaches 10,000 signatures gets a written response from the government. A petition that reaches 100,000 signatures is considered for debate by MPs, though a debate is not guaranteed.Parl A petition must ask for a clear action and stays open for six months.