BBC director general Matt Brittin has told MPs that the corporation will strengthen its presence on YouTube and X/Twitter in order to counter the spread of disinformation online. Giving evidence to the UK Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Brittin — a former long-serving Google executive — acknowledged that YouTube can act as a breeding ground for deliberately deceptive content, but argued the BBC must be present on such platforms to showcase its impartial, public service journalism. He described the BBC as being "like the disinfectant for misinformation" provided its journalism is done well.

His comments come as the UK government plans to legislate so that YouTube, TikTok and other major video-sharing platforms make BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Paramount-owned Channel 5 content easy to discover. Brittin conceded that YouTube would resist the proposals — Google has already called them unfair — but said there were good reasons for tech giants to be more transparent about their algorithms. He added that the BBC keeps its use of third-party platforms under review, noting he had recently examined its presence on X/Twitter after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced she was leaving the network, which she said favours "abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate".