Digital imprints: draft statutory guidance
The new digital imprints regime for political campaigning will increase transparency for voters and empower them to make informed decisions.
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The Elections Act 2022 (‘the Act’) introduced one of the most comprehensive ‘digital imprint’ regimes that operates in the world today. The new rules will increase transparency by requiring those promoting certain digital campaigning material aimed at the UK public to state who they are.
To support compliance with the new regime, the Act provides for statutory guidance to be prepared by the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission ran a public consultation on an earlier version of the guidance towards the end of last year and received overall positive feedback from a range of interested groups.
The government has considered the draft guidance prepared by the Commission and is today (13 July 2023) laying the guidance with no modifications before Parliament for a 40-day period for approval.
This draft guidance will support campaigners, candidates and political parties in understanding and complying with the new rules. It also offers guidance to the relevant authorities (the police and the Electoral Commission) on the enforcement of the rules.
The government has written to members of the Parliamentary Parties Panel to share the draft guidance laid before Parliament. The government has also written to the Local Government Association regarding the use by councillors of relevant council addresses for imprints for the purpose of transparency in respect of the digital imprint regime.
If the guidance is approved by Parliament, it will come into force alongside the new digital imprint rules in November 2023.
Last updated 26 July 2023 + show all updates
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Added an explanatory memorandum to the draft statutory guidance on digital imprints.
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First published.