Speaker’s Conference to hear evidence from X and Meta
4 July 2025
The Speaker’s Conference (2024) will on Wednesday, 9th July 2025 hear from X (formerly Twitter), Meta and a senior lecturer from the University of Glasgow.
This session will cover the role of the main social media platforms that threats against MPs occur on. Panellists will be asked about how platforms facilitate those threats; the extent to which they are able and willing to put in place measures to reduce the proliferation of online abuse and mis/disinformation; and how their terms of service could be better enforced. The Conference will also ask what changes platforms have made following the Online Safety Act regulation in relation to assessing risk and removing harmful or threatening content, which targets those in public office.
Witnesses are:
- Claire Dile, Government Affairs Director, Europe, X
- Megan Thomas, UK Public Policy Manager, Meta
- Dr Patrícia Rossini, Senior Lecturer in Communications, Media & Democracy, University of Glasgow
The evidence session will be broadcast on Parliament Live from 15:35 on Wednesday 9th July 2025.
About the Speaker’s Conference
The committee, which is to be known as the Speaker’s Conference, was established to help ensure that elections to the UK Parliament are conducted freely and fairly, without threats or violence; that candidates are able to campaign safely, with appropriate protection and support; and that elected representatives can do their job securely.
The Conference published its first report on 2 June, making recommendations on how the response to threats against MPs, candidates and elections can be strengthened, including through electoral law reform. The current phase of work is focussed on what can be done to reduce the level of threat posed to MPs and candidates.
The House of Commons approved the motion to establish the Conference on 14 October 2024.
How Speaker’s Conferences work
A Speaker's Conference is a cross-party group of MPs brought together by the Commons Speaker to consider a specific topic. The Speaker can call such a conference at any time, either independently or on the Prime Minister’s recommendation.
Speakers’ Conferences have similar powers to select committees and can request documents, call witnesses and take oral and written evidence. They are not bound to the procedures of select committees, however, and have the discretion to operate under the Speaker’s guidance.