Report: regulator may oversee UK online content

A state regulator "may be needed to assess the quality of online news" in the United Kingdom, according to a government-ordered review.

The finding was among conclusions reached by senior journalist and academic Frances Cairncross, who was asked by Prime Minister Theresa May to study the future of the UK news industry and the sustainability of high-quality journalism.

Cairncross said tech giants should have a "news quality obligation" and that content they carry ought to be overseen by a regulator. She said companies, including Google and Facebook, should try to improve the level of trust users have in their content.