On the eve of a general election, there is still no sign of counter-disinformation strategy
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The publication of the country’s first ever national strategy to counter disinformation — initially supposed to be out eight months ago — is still in doubt, as the country heads towards a general election.
The National Counter Disinformation Strategy Working Group was set up by Media Minister Catherine Martin in February 2023 and various drafts have been in circulation since earlier this year.
Publication of the strategy has been repeatedly pushed back, with initial Government statements that it would be out before March this year. That was then put back to before June — and was subsequently deferred to the autumn.
The most recent statement from the Department of Arts and Media said: “Drafting of the strategy is now at an advanced stage and it is intended that it will be finalised as soon as practicable.”
It comes as Taoiseach Simon Harris announced the election will be held on November 29.
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Disinformation is a concern for candidates and authorities involved in running the elections. The latter includes social media posts making erroneous claims about polling stations, voting times, and the integrity of the voting system itself.
The potential for mass duping of people was highlighted in the recent hoax Halloween parade on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, with hundreds of people lining up for a non-existent event.
Posts on the purported event appeared on an anonymous event website, before being shared on social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said it highlighted the potential impact of disinformation and the need to intervene quickly to counter it.
Last month, The Institute for Strategic Dialogue told an Oireachtas committee that social media platforms were “inconsistent in enforcing their own rules” on extremism, hate speech, and disinformation and that their own algorithms recommend misinformation, disinformation, and hateful content to users.
The think-tank said emerging technologies, such as generative AI, were growing digital threats to democracy and urged proper regulatory oversight and enforcement.
The previous month, the Policing Authority said the Irish far right was successfully using disinformation to target vulnerable communities, claiming groups such as asylum seekers pose “an existential threat”.
The Electoral Commission has a defined role on disinformation, but it is confined to anything that could affect people’s perception of the electoral process, not disinformation in debates.
The broadcasting regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has a broader role in relation to online harm and disinformation.
A working group scoping paper, published in September 2023, said that, given the wide-ranging nature of disinformation, a “whole-of-government approach will be required” which would require a “significant capacity for coordination”.
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