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Keeping watch: Government teams tackling disinformation

Counter-Disinformation Unit

A cross-Whitehall team set up in 2019 to tackle “disinformation” around the European election. It has been reconvened several times over the last four years – again in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its remit was expanded during the pandemic to include responding to “harmful misinformation” relating to Covid-19 alongside its routine work of analysing disinformation.

Counter-Disinformation Policy Forum

A group of social media companies, fact-checking organisations and academics, assembled ahead of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout with the aim of combatting mis and disinformation.

Members included Facebook, Google, the BBC Trusted News Initiative, YouTube, Twitter, Ofcom, the Global Disinformation Index, the Center for Countering Digital Hate and a number of university professors.

Rapid Response Unit

A team that was within the Cabinet Office that monitored news and online content that was considered to be misinformation. This was then flagged with the Counter-Disinformation Unit. It was wound up in July 2022. During its pilot in 2018 the service spotted “false narratives” relating to the chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The unit ensured those using search terms on air strikes were presented with fact.