Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Science, Technology, Research and Development, James Lawless TD, has teamed up with international counterparts to work on ‘Infotagion’ a fact-checking website which encourages users to interrogate the information they are receiving about COVID-19.
Deputy Lawless encouraged people to use the website, which allows members of the public to post screenshots of coronavirus-related information they have received online. A team checks what users submit against official sources and give traffic light answers on whether it is true or false.
Deputy Lawless explained, “As a member of the International Grand Committee on Disinformation and ‘Fake News,’ I have been fortunate to be part of huge international team of parliamentarians with a common goal – to combat the spread of false information.
“In response to this crisis, in which we have seen false information spread as quickly as the virus, we are working alongside Conservative MP Damian Collins to push back the disinformation and lead people to more reliable sources of information.
“Some myths doing the rounds, for example putting an onion in the corner of a room will ward off COVID-19 are just complete nonsense. Others are far more sinister and recently the Chief Medical Officer and the HSE had to dispel rumours that a HSE nurse had passed away as a result of COVID-19 – they should not need to do this.
“People are being encouraged to be critical thinkers in what they are reading and sharing. ‘Infortagion’ offers them assistance in doing so,” he concluded.
