By Ben Kerrigan-
Sollihull MP Julian Knight is to lead an inquiry into people who deliberately spread lies about the coronavirus crisis, and whether the Government is doing enough to stop them.
The former journalist for the BBC and Independent On Sunday is determined to battle disinformation about the Coronavirus which he says is undermining efforts by the British government to manage the crisis engulfing the Uk and many parts of the world.
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The British Government has been working with social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook to try to stop the spread of malicious lies about coronavirus. Mischievous social media users have indulged in lies about world leaders having the virus, claims of miracle cures which the governments is supposedly concealing or claims that the virus was created as some kind of conspiracy.
The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport set up a team of officials to “help provide a comprehensive picture on the potential extent, scope and impact of disinformation”. It has also been questioned whether staff working for the Counter Disinformation Unit have the expertise required in tackling both disinformation and misinformation online.
The inquiry is being conducted by the Commons Culture Committee, led by Mr Knight. In a letter to culture secretary Oliver Dowden, the committee warned that false narratives could undermine efforts by the government and public health organisations to deal with the virus.
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“We’ve known since January about deliberate attempts to spread fear and falsehoods on social media about coronavirus, with potentially serious outcomes,” said DCMS committee chair Julian Knight.
“We support the government’s decision to tackle disinformation and misinformation about Covid-19 at this critical time but question why it has taken so long for ministers to set this up.”
Knight also called for reassurances that the cyber unit would be working closely with tech companies.Prime Minister Boris Johnson invited executives from major tech firms to Downing Street last week as part of the government’s efforts to tackle misinformation.
At the Tech CEO Round Table, chaired by the prime minister’s top adviser, Dominic Cummings, bosses were asked to commit “data, assets and expertise” to the fight against the outbreak. They are also asking for reassurances that staff working for the Counter Disinformation Unit have the expertise required in tackling both disinformation and misinformation online.
Ms Elliott is a member of a new House of Commons committee, called the sub-committee on online harms and disinformation, which will carry out the inquiry. In the letter to Culture Secretary of State Oliver Dowden, MPs expressed concern that false narratives could undermine ongoing efforts by Government and public health organisations to deal with coronavirus.
The letter said: “False narratives could potentially undermine the ongoing efforts of government and public health organisations.”
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