Community leaders can help curb false claims online after attacks in UK, say researchers

Analysis finds swift release of information helps to debunk inflammatory falsehoods on social media

Debunking" efforts involving police forces, community leaders and local councillors should be deployed to counter misinformation in the wake of serious incidents such as the Southport murders, according to a new analysis.

Trust in the UK government and law enforcement is so low that attempts to curb online falsehoods need to be backed up by other sources, said experts at the Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (Cetas).