The strategy [PDF] will involve training teachers, library staff, youth workers, and carers to help young people spot disinformation, including how to critically analyse the content they consume. According to research by the National Literacy Trust, just 2 per cent of children have developed sufficient critical-thinking skills to spot disinformation online.
Concerns are not limited to children; the coronavirus pandemic has inspired a wave of dangerous disinformation and misinformation, including falsehoods about vaccines, 5G technology, and the origins of the virus. These falsehoods have led to instances of arson and harassment of telecoms and healthcare workers.
Digital minister Oliver Dowden decried real-life harms done by consumers of disinformation. He wrote in a statement: “We want users to be able to make informed and safer decisions online, to make the most of all the good the internet has to offer. This strategy is part of our plan to achieve...