Czech government tackles fake news with specialist unit

The Czech government has established a specialist “anti-fake news” unit in its efforts to counteract false information spread by websites seeking deliberately to mislead readers.

Recent polling data suggests that fake news sites are impacting public opinion in the Czech Republic, giving particular urgency to the unit’s aim to combat interference in the country’s upcoming October general election.

“The disinformation campaigns are trying to radicalise society and undermine its psyche. And to a certain degree it’s working. You can see it,” an anonymous Czech government official reported.

The government believes that a large proportion of the disinformation, which predominantly relates to migrants, is spread by websites supported by the Russian government, a concern that has been lent weight by recent claims that Russian online activity influenced the result of November’s US presidential election.

The specialists employed by the unit will closely examine disinformation and use a dedicated Twitter account and a special section of the interior ministry website as communication tools to combat fake news. The unit, which is called the Centre Against Terrorism and Hybrid Threats, will also provide civil servants with training on how to avoid blackmail and withstand foreign lobbying.

Source: The Guardian