Government goes into battle against fake news

Monday 23 November 2020

The Government has launched a battle against ‘fake news’, warning islanders to keep their guard up as fake accounts and covid conspiracy theories continue to grow.

With social media being used to share information about covid-19, islanders are being urged to take the following steps to ensure the information they are reading, and sharing, is accurate:

• "Check if the account the information is coming from is real. Many people choose not to share all their personal information online, and that is ok. But some profiles take advantage of this and use fake accounts to share fake information. Fake accounts on social media often have no photos of real people, have no friends, a high volume of followers but no likes, comments or conversations. 

• "If you’re not sure if something is true, check if the information has come from a trustworthy source and always rely on official sources. 

• "Search www.gov.je to find the latest information from the Government."

The campaign follows the creation of a number of local groups to share information about the island's response to the pandemic, as well as Senator Lyndon Farnham being made the subject of a fake Instagram account, which asked for money from the public.

Pictured: Islanders are being urged to first check the Government's website for information, rather than searching or relying on social media.

Assistant Chief Minister Constable Richard Buchanan said: “Since the outbreak of covid-19, the Government has recognised that social media can help us get important information and updates to the public in a quick and accessible way. 

“Social media does have its limitations, and in an Island as small as Jersey, false information can be spread relatively easily. This can cause distress to vulnerable people who need accurate and up-to-date information.

"I’d urge all Islanders to fact check the information they read online and help us to keep the public informed and up-to-date.”