Cross-Whitehall unit set up to counter false coronavirus claims

DCMS-based unit aims to identify disinformation about virus and establish its scope

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.