A special cross-Whitehall unit has been set up to counter coronavirus-related disinformation, including from Russia and China, working closely with social media companies to rebut false and inaccurate claims about the disease.
Housed in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the unit will aim to identify false information being deliberately spread online and to establish its scope, impact and whether it needs to be actively countered.
Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, said defending the country from misinformation and digital interference was a top priority, and that expert teams had been brought together to respond to any threats identified.
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Source: Cross-Whitehall unit set up to counter false coronavirus claims | World news | The Guardian